By Sylene Argent, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Essex Free Press
Essex Council will send a letter to the Crime Prevention and Community Support Bureau of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), noting it has heard issues from individuals trying to receive a criminal record check regarding the length of time it takes.
“We are noticing there are a lot of complaints that criminal record checks are taking a while,” Essex Mayor Sherry Bondy told Essex Council during the April 22 meeting. That is holding up summer students and volunteers.
She said this process is making it challenging to become a volunteer and to provide employment.
“These are two hurdles we cannot have.”
The Essex County OPP Detachment Board-North – which oversees Essex, Lakeshore, and Tecumseh – sent a letter about this concern to Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Commissioner Thomas Carrique, regarding criminal record check processing times, back in February.
It asked the OPP to review the prioritization and response times of the criminal record check application process and take steps to resolve processing delays, in response to citizen and Council concerns regarding long wait times that have resulted in lost employment, postsecondary education, and volunteer opportunities.
“We can advise that there are mounting frustrations with the long wait times which have become apparent since the service was elevated from the detachment level to a more centralized bureau. Accordingly, members of the Councils for the municipalities that make up our Board are routinely contacted by members of the public seeking assistance with or expressing concerns regarding the processing time associated with police record checks,” the letter from the Essex County OPP Detachment Board-North notes.
Crime Prevention and Community Support Bureau Commander Chief, Superintendent Jon Dumond, responded to that letter, which was presented to Essex Council at the April 22 meeting.
The letter explains that in June 2022, the OPP launched the centralized Online Police Record Check System. The aim was to make this system more convenient and accessible for those applying for a Police Record Check Certificate.
The system is built upon an online application program provided by a third-party vendor. The information gathered is securely transmitted to the OPP Online Police Record Check Unit (OPRCU), the letter continues.
He adds that once a check is initiated, various factors can affect the turnaround time.
“On average, the OPRCU receives 500 applications a day. We strive to achieve an average turnaround of four to five days; however, when we receive an influx at peak times throughout the year, these numbers can increase to 1,700 applications a day, which causes an increase in turnaround times.”
Bondy suggested Essex Council also pen a letter to the OPP’s Crime Prevention Community and Community Support Bureau, noting it too has also noticed similar issues.
Councillor Kim Verbeek has also heard this from individuals. It is something she personally has experienced, and so are a number of church volunteers she knows.
“It is really holding a lot of things up,” Verbeek said, thanking Bondy for presenting the idea.
Councillor Rodney Hammond also experienced issues applying for his criminal record check online, which he said timed out before he received the document.
At its April 14 meeting, the Essex County OPP Detachment Board-North also received the letter from the Crime Prevention and Community Support Bureau.
In response to the letter the Crime Prevention and Community Support Bureau sent, Lakeshore Mayor Tacey Bailey said it fell short.
“Organizations are struggling; 60-90 days. The last time we saw something like this was when they implemented the finger printing, which was 120-days,” she said.
“We have organizations that are failing to thrive now, because we don’t have volunteers that can get screened fast enough,” Bailey said.
The previous system of walking into a station to get a criminal record check received a return within days, she said.
In addition, Bailey spoke of the senior community, which makes up for a good chunk of volunteers, they cannot access or manage the digital technology necessary.
Further, the Essex County OPP Detachment Board-North responded with a follow-up letter, expressing its dissatisfaction with its response and requested appropriate resourcing to expedite criminal record check processing.
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