Resolution - 2007.01
Government Funding for Police Records Checks

Submitted by: Ontario Provincial Council

Whereas, In many jurisdictions, police records checks may be mandatory for volunteers, who are an important part of every community; and

Whereas, The fee for a police records check is an expense many volunteers and/or non-profit community and charitable organizations are unable to pay; therefore, be it

Resolved, That the national council of The Catholic Women's League of Canada, in 87th annual national convention assembled, urge the attorney general of Canada to underwrite the costs associated with police records checks for volunteers and/or non-profit community and charitable organizations.

?As the sensitivity of the volunteer assignment increases, the need for multiple and more thorough screening procedures arises. At the low end of the spectrum is a volunteer who assists each week in copying and filing newspaper clippings or someone who helps organize groceries for the food bank. At the high risk end is a guardian for an elderly person with Alzheimer's disease or a mentor for a child in a program involving unsupervised overnight visits at the mentor's home? (Tremper).

?While no one would argue that background checks on people who deal with vulnerable groups ? children, the elderly, people with disabilities ? are necessary, many groups [and individuals] struggle with the associated costs of doing the checks, as well as with issues such as frequency of checks, or the turnaround time involved? (Zummach).

?Although there is no data indicating that requiring background checks hinders volunteer recruitment, a survey by the Professional and Public Affairs Committee of PAVR-O (Professional Administrators of Volunteer Resources ? Ontario) reveals that background checks can take as little as four hours or as long as three months in Ontario, depending on which police department is conducting the check? (Ibid). ?The issue of criminal record checks, and in particular the associated fees, was a hot topic in Victoria, BC recently. The Victoria police department began charging $10 for conducting record checks that were previously done free of charge? (Ibid). The actual cost for doing a records check can be substantially higher. Usually, records checks are required annually.

While the necessity of police records checks is not in question, it is unreasonable that the volunteers or the non-profit community or charitable organizations are required to pay fees associated with the checks.

Bibliography
?Answers To Frequently Asked Question,? John Howard Society of Alberta,? 2000 <<http://www.johnhoward.ab.ca/PUB/A5.htm#Answer>> (March 3, 2007).

? Canada Volunteerism Initiative: An update from Volunteer Canada President Marlene Deboisbriand,? Volunteer Canada, November 15, 2006 <<http://www.volunteer.ca/volcan/eng/content/canvol-init/cvi_message.php>> March 3, 2007).

?Make the call ? your first step to volunteer screening,? Ontario Screening Initiative.

?Memorandum of Understanding,? South Bruce Grey Police Service/Holy Family Church, 2002.

?Police Records Search,? Hanover Police Service.

?Screening: Provincial initiatives ? Ontario,? Volunteer Canada <<http://new.volunteer.ca/en/volcan/screening2/ontario-init>> (February 26, 2007).

Tremper, Charles and Gwynne Kostin, ?Step 2: Screening,? No Surprises: Harmonizing Risk and Reward in Volunteer Management, Nonprofit Risk Management Centre, 2001, <<http://www.energizeinc.com/art/anos.html/>> (February 26, 2007).

?Volunteer Screening,? Archdiocese of Toronto <<http://www.archtoronto.org/arch_offices/volunteer_screening.html>> (April 9, 2007).

?Volunteer Screening: Summer Update 2006,? Diocese of Hamilton, 2006 <<http://www.hamiltondiocese.com/volscreen/workshop.html>> (February 26, 2007).

?Volunteer Screening Initiative: Information Booklet,? Diocese of Hamilton <<http://www.hamiltondiocese.com/volscreen/screening_mini_manual.pdf>>.

Campbell, LaVerne, Jeri Royce, Farah Arosemena, Tricia Dwyer-Morgan and Andy King, Volunteer Screening: Part of an Integrated Risk Management Program, Points of Light Foundation, Summer 2002.

Zummach, Nicole, ?Criminal record checks: A necessary but often taxing reality for nonprofits,? CharityVillage.com, October 28, 2002, <<http://www.charityvillage.com/cv/archive/acov/acov02/acov0243.html>> (March 3, 2007).

Requested Members' Action:

• Contact the local police authorities to determine whether they charge a fee for police records checks for volunteers and/or non-profit community and charitable organizations.
• Invite a police representative to your meeting to speak about the process of obtaining police records checks, the importance of those checks and the actual costs of those checks.
• Ask your pastor or parish administrator to explain the policy regarding police records checks in your parish and/or diocese.
• Invite a representative of a local non-profit organization to speak about his or her organization's experience with police records checks and the financial implications for the organization and/or its volunteers.