Public Safety committee  We very much understand that concern. It's one that we face every day. We get correspondence every day on that. We take it very seriously, and that's why we've made the changes we have to the real time identification system. It is now possible for police services to hook up to us electronically and, for somebody who doesn't have a record, to have that response basically instantaneously.

Public Safety committee  First of all, I don't think it's a funding cut. It's more an issue of the costs rising for national police services, be it through additional legislation or technology costs, and those sorts--

Public Safety committee  It is accurate that over the last few years the RCMP has supplemented the national police services budget from carry-forward it has in its operating budget to cover any shortfall. Going forward, given the financial situation that governments find themselves in across the country, this is not necessarily sustainable.

Public Safety committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you for the opportunity to speak before this committee today. I am pleased to appear before the committee in my role as the assistant commissioner, forensic science and identification services. My area of responsibility includes two key services that are the primary focus of today's committee hearing, the Canadian Police Information Centre, known as CPIC, and the Canadian criminal real time identification services, which we call CCRTIS.