Changes in Fees for Certain Police Record Checks
Effective April 1, 2022 Police Services in Ontario will not be charging the volunteer fee for police record check applications for 2 of the 3 levels of checks we provide.
The Criminal Record Check (CRC) for volunteers and CRJMC (Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check) for volunteers will be free with an additional 4 copies, if requested at the time of initial application. The volunteers will be required to provide proof of the volunteer position via Agency Letter.
Please NOTE: THE VULNERABLE SECTOR CHECK (VSC) remains unchanged. ($20 volunteer fee will remain in effect)
As you may be aware there is misleading and confusing information being broadcasted by several media sources that imply volunteers will get free police record checks, without clarifying that the VSC (which the majority of volunteers require) will remain unchanged. The majority of the volunteers we process checks for require the Vulnerable Sector Check. If applicants or agencies have any questions or concerns, please contact the Information Release Unit for clarification. PoliceRecordCheck@drps.ca
Some examples of who requires a Vulnerable Sector Check for volunteer purposes:
Parent volunteers in a school, class trips
YMCA volunteers
Hockey coach, Baseball coach, any coaching staff of any sport of minors
Special Olympics
Hospitals, Nursing homes, long term care homes
Church staff
Food banks
Vulnerable Sector Check
A vulnerable sector check is a police information check plus a check to see if a person has a record suspension (pardon) for sexual offences.
Vulnerable sector checks were created in 2000 to protect children and vulnerable persons and is governed by section 6.3(3) of the Criminal Records Act. Policies and procedures related to vulnerable sector checks can be found in the Dissemination of Criminal Record Information policy and the Ministerial Directive Concerning the Release of Criminal Record Information by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
Working in the vulnerable sector
People who volunteer or have jobs where they are in positions of trust or authority over children or vulnerable persons can be asked to obtain a vulnerable sector check. Being in a position of trust or authority is more than just having contact with children or vulnerable persons. To meet the legal requirements for a vulnerable sector check, the nature of the position – not the person – must cause the person to have authority over, or trust of, children or vulnerable persons.
Children are defined as being anyone under the age of 18. Vulnerable persons are people who, because of their age, disability or other circumstance, are more vulnerable than others.
The decision to request a vulnerable sector check is made by the hiring company or volunteer organization. If they determine that a position is one of trust or authority over children or vulnerable persons, they can request that an applicant for the position obtain a vulnerable sector check. A vulnerable sector check is position specific.
Definition of “vulnerable person” means a person who, because of his or her age, a disability or other circumstances, whether temporary or permanent,
(a) is in a position of dependency on others, or
(b) is otherwise at a greater risk than the general population of being harmed by a person in a position of trust or authority towards them.
The legislation has defined volunteer as:
A definition of “volunteer” has been established to clarify the eligibility for supports under the PRCRA. A “volunteer” means a person who performs a service but who receives no compensation for doing so other than an allowance for expenses or an honorarium. It excludes a person receiving some other form of credit, such as academic credit or fulfilling a sentence requirement.
The legislation effecting this change:
https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/15p30
https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/S21034#sched20s1
FACT SHEET:
https://thrc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/PRCRA-Factsheet-Reg-Amendments_2021-07-01_EN-003.pdf