Public Safety Committee on Feb. 15th, 2011

[Phil McColeman, Conservative, Brant, ON]

It would seem to me that, especially in rural Canada—and of course the RCMP handles a lot of that policing—there are still quite a few regional police services, and some would be able to put this in place sooner, perhaps, than others would because of budgetary constraints.

Would it be unreasonable to have joint resources, whereby an individual could go to a neighbouring community to be processed more quickly? I guess, according to this discussion today, you would have no problem with that happening anywhere in the country, would you?

[A/Commr Peter Henschel]

No, as long as it stays within the confines of the ministerial directive, which requires that the local police have jurisdiction to complete the vulnerable sector verification. But there would still be mechanisms for that to take place. We would be completely open to those kinds of set-ups as long as, as I say, they fall within the confines of the ministerial directive.

[Phil McColeman, Conservative, Brant, ON]

I'm just curious about this next question. It refers to people changing their name and of course doing the cross-checking and screening on that. What's the percentage? Do you have any statistics on this?

[A/Commr Peter Henschel]

No, I'm not aware of any statistics we have on that. One of the problems is that names are a provincially regulated issue, and in most provinces--outside of Alberta and B.C.--there is no requirement for people, when they change their name legally, to submit fingerprints. So there is no way for us to verify that a person who has changed her name legally did or didn't have, for example, in particular a pardoned sexual offence.

[Phil McColeman, Conservative, Brant, ON]

Lastly, how many people are currently working in this office?

[A/Commr Peter Henschel]

Do you want to be specific? On the whole secret side?

[Phil McColeman, Conservative, Brant, ON]

Yes, I'm referring to the whole program of doing the screening.

[A/Commr Peter Henschel]

The civil screening?

[Phil McColeman, Conservative, Brant, ON]

Yes.

[Guylaine Dansereau]

Is it civil screening or the update of criminal records, if I may ask for a distinction?

[Phil McColeman, Conservative, Brant, ON]

Civil screening.

[Guylaine Dansereau]

Processing civil screening? For data entry, I have 38 employees working shifts, but there are also several other sectors, depending on whether there's a review of an existing criminal record. But for processing the information to enter for the automation of the system, there are 38 employees.

[Phil McColeman, Conservative, Brant, ON]

What would your expectation be once this system is in place and streamlined, with respect to personnel? Do you think this is going to create efficiencies? Will it result in less cost to process?

[Guylaine Dansereau]

Of course.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

Thank you, Mr. McColeman.

Madam Mourani.

[Maria Mourani, Bloc, Ahuntsic, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Allow me to address the issue of DNA print-taking. As you know, DNA samples are taken in accordance with a court order. According to my information, you receive that information through the 3800 form. At the same time, you also receive the 3801 form, which also gives you the individual's fingerprints. So you have the individual's DNA and fingerprints.

According to my information, when you receive these forms but haven't previously received the 216 form, you don't take that information into account. Why do you refuse to consider the fingerprints provided by means of the 3801 form?

[Guylaine Dansereau]

When we receive the 3800 form containing DNA information, that information is kept and put on hold. It isn't true that we don't have it. We keep that information. We enter it in the system. When we receive the fingerprints, the two pieces of information are put together in the criminal record.

[Maria Mourani, Bloc, Ahuntsic, QC]

What I understood was that, when you receive the DNA print and fingerprints contained in those two forms, you refuse to enter the information in the system because you don't have the 216 form.

[Guylaine Dansereau]

We don't refuse to enter it in the system. We have to wait until we get the fingerprints in order to do it.

[Maria Mourani, Bloc, Ahuntsic, QC]

With what form?

[Guylaine Dansereau]

The C-216 form.

[Maria Mourani, Bloc, Ahuntsic, QC]

But if you don't have the C-216 form?

[Guylaine Dansereau]

If we don't have that information, we nevertheless enter them in the archives until we get it.

[Maria Mourani, Bloc, Ahuntsic, QC]

What happens if you don't get the 216 form?

[Guylaine Dansereau]

You mean the information pending the 216 form?