New Changes to Police Checks through Private Security Firms

As of December 8, there has been a change to third party security firms’ ability to perform police checks on potential volunteers and staff. This new directive will affect only those nonprofits and charities that have been using private security firms rather than processing criminal record checks directly through Calgary Police Service, Edmonton Police Service, or the RCMP.

The new directive has the following implications:

• Security firms will be able to indicate that the search is negative (no criminal record) or the search is positive (there may or may not be a criminal record in existence)
• Security firms will no longer be able to provide specifics on a positive result, nor will they be permitted to conduct Vulnerable Sector (VS) checks (which shows sexual offences)
• Security firms are required to enter into new agreements with all of the police agencies they have been dealing with
• There is some concern that waiting times will increase considerably for results of police checks done directly through the RCMP or other police services

 For more details, please access resources from Volunteer Alberta and the Canadian Police Information Centre.