News Article
Tougher criminal security check draws mixed reviews
Eric Lewis, Times & Transcript
31 October 2011
Expanded criminal background checks for those working or volunteering with seniors, youth and other groups are being praised for providing an extra level of security in Metro Moncton.
But the new system introduced nationally in 2010 is also being criticized for taking too long and potentially putting peoples livelihoods at risk.
According to federal rules, people applying for jobs or volunteer positions where they would be close to children, seniors or others in the vulnerable sector must submit to a fingerprint scan if their name or date of birth are similar to those of convicted sex offenders.
Codiac Regional RCMP spokesperson Const. Damien Thériault says Codiac receives "several hundred" criminal background checks a month, some of which require the fingerprint scan.
Prior to Codiac recently getting the RCMP's Live Scan service, which allows fingerprints to be electronically scanned, paper results of a fingerprint check were sent to Ottawa. This could result in an individual waiting weeks or even months for the results. Now, the results can come back in a day in many cases. But backlogs can occur in Ottawa.
"We do have people who come in to our front desk and have concerns about the delays," Thériault says.
If a person's name or birth date isn't found to be the same or similar to a registered sex offender, the background check is a quick process. But if their name or date of birth is flagged and fingerprinting is required, it can take time.
Individuals requesting background checks at Codiac for job purposes are required to pay $20. Volunteer applicants can access the service for free.
Greg Estabrooks, a cab driver with White Cab and chairman of the Moncton Taxi Committee, says the fingerprinting process has created problems for cab drivers in the city.
"Don't get me wrong, I'm all for checking people out," he says. "But not the length of time it takes."
Cab drivers are licensed by the City of Moncton every spring, and they must go through the criminal records check each time.
Recently, Estabrooks hired a new driver for one of his cars, but the driver was forced to sit at home for a month while awaiting the results of his background check. Estabrooks says that was a month when the driver couldn't earn any money and Estabrooks himself paid insurance and rental fees on a car that never moved.
Barbara Quigley, Moncton city clerk, says, the city's cab drivers experienced a huge backlog during the licensing process earlier this year.
"However, it appears that the RCMP have put some new systems in place to expedite the process and things seem to be going a little more quickly," she says. "We still have some drivers waiting for a response, and unfortunately, we are dependent upon the RCMP to ensure that these are expedited."
The security check could mean the difference between someone getting a job or not in any field where the background check is required. Anyone applying for jobs in schools, daycares or seniors homes must go through the background check, which could require fingerprinting.
What's more, every time an individual applies for a different job or volunteer position, they need to go through the process again.
While Denale Curtis says the fingerprint process is no doubt frustrating for job seekers, it's a welcome security check for non-profit organizations always in need of volunteers.
Curtis is the executive director of Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Moncton. She says the RCMP's fingerprinting process has delayed the background checks of some volunteers, but it hasn't been a huge ordeal.
"Keeping the children safe is our number one priority," she says.
Natalie Sherwood echoes Curtis's thoughts. Sherwood is the program director for respite care services for children with special needs at the Volunteer Centre of Southeastern New Brunswick. She deals with 50 volunteers, and while the fingerprint process can slow things a bit for the organization at times, "families are feeling more secure because they have a bigger screening now."
"I think in the long run, it's a good thing," she says.
While Codiac RCMP has the Live Scan technology that can speed up the process, other policing jurisdictions may not.
District 11 RCMP, for example, which serves much of the area around Moncton, has been sending paper copies of fingerprints to Ottawa for processing. However, it will soon begin offering the Live Scan option for individuals in its jurisdiction through the Commissionaires security office on St. George Street. However, because a private company is offering the service, volunteers must pay a $20 fee to access the Live Scan equipment. Job seekers will be required to pay $50 plus tax to access the machine and pay a $25 processing fee.
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