Background Checks

The Port Hope Police Service Background Check\ Screening Program provides Police and Criminal Record Checks to members of the public as permitted by legislation. The Port Hope Police are able to provide all three types of checks to any resident of the Municipality of Port Hope, Ward 1. If you are a resident of Ward 2, Port Hope Police are able to provide Police Criminal Record Checks (CRC) and Police Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Checks (CRJMC). If you live in Ward 2 and require a Police Vulnerable Sector Check (VSC), please contact our local OPP Detachment. We are also able to provide a Police Criminal Record Check (PCRC), see below, to anyone, regardless of residence.

To apply for a background check you can do this online or in person:

THIS PROCESS IS FOR RESIDENTS OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF PORT HOPE.

NO REFUNDS WILL BE ISSUED.

Online: You can apply for a Background Check online by clicking on the appropriate link below.

Please note to use the online background check process you will need a credit card and will be required to answer questions for proof of identification verification through Transunion.

You will be required to create an account and then can follow through the website to complete the consent form.

Employment non vulnerable sector check- click here

For Employment VS checks click link below.

Vulnerable sector police check -employment or volunteer- click here

In Person: the applicant must come to the police station in person to confirm his/her identity. At that time you must provide two pieces of valid, government-issued identification.

Guidelines for identification pieces:

One must have a photo
Expired identification cannot be used

Examples:

Driver's License
Passport
Firearms License
Ontario Photo Card
Birth Certificate
Health Card (number will be blacked out upon photocopying)
SIN Card (only accepted if presented with a second piece of photo I.D.)

Police Station Location and Hours.

Location:	55 Fox Road Port Hope, Ontario P.O. Box 111, L1A 3V5
Hours of Operation:	Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

It usually takes 2 to 3 business days to process a request and the results can be picked up in person. In some cases, the request will take longer to complete and could be mailed to the applicant if instructed to do so.

Types of Background Checks:

There are now three types of Police Information Requests available

Police Criminal Record Check (CRC)
Police Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check (CRJMC)
Police Vulnerable Sector Check (VSC)

1. A Police Criminal Record Check (PCRC) is intended for applicants who are involved as volunteers, employees or in any situation where a basic PCRC is required (i.e. retail store, immigration purposes etc.) This check is NOT intended for applicants seeking volunteer work or employment with vulnerable persons. The PCRC will ONLY include criminal convictions (summary and indictable) from CPIC and/or local databases.

2. A Police Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check (CRJMC) It is a collection of offence information, including convictions, outstanding warrants, charges and judicial orders available from a local police agency’s records management system and other systems/records where authorized. This check is intended for applicants who are seeking volunteer work and/or employment with agencies who require a criminal record check along with local police involvement. A search of pardoned sex offenders or contacts relating to mental health apprehensions will NOT be included. Therefore this check is NOT intended for applicants who are seeking volunteer work or employment with vulnerable persons.

The Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check will include the following information:

Item #1: Every criminal offence of which the individual has been convicted for which a pardon/record suspension has not been issued or granted. We do not disclose summary convictions if the request is made more than five years after the date of the summary conviction.
Item #2: Every finding of guilt under the YCJA in respect of the individual during the applicable period of access under that Act.
Item #3: Every criminal offence of which the individual has been found guilty and received an absolute discharge. We do not disclose if the request is made more than one year after the date of the absolute discharge.
Item #4: Every criminal offence of which the individual has been found guilty and received a conditional discharge on conditions set out in a probation order. We do not disclose if the request is made more than three years after the date of the conditional discharge.
Item #5: Every criminal offence for which there is an outstanding charge or warrant to arrest in respect of the individual.
Item #6: Every court order made against the individual. We do not disclose court orders made under the Mental Health Act or under Part XX.1 of the Criminal Code of Canada. Do not disclose court orders made in relation to a charge that has been withdrawn. Do not disclose restraining orders made against the individual under the Family Law Act, the Children’s Law Reform Act or the Child and Family Services Act.
Item #8: Any conviction for which a pardon/record suspension has been granted. We do not disclose unless disclosure is authorized under the Criminal Records Act.

3. A Police Vulnerable Sector Check (PVSC) is restricted to applicants seeking employment or volunteering with vulnerable individuals. It is a collection of offence information, including convictions, non-convictions and other relevant police contact information available from a local police agency's records management system and other systems/records where authorized. This check will also include sexual offence convictions for which the individual has received a pardon, if the release is authorized by the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness after the submission of fingerprints.

Section 6.3(3) of the Criminal Records Act places the responsibility for the need of a PVSC on the employer, whether that be an individual or an organization. In compliance with this Act, the applicant or agency must be responsible for the well-being of vulnerable persons. The position must be one of authority or trust, relative to those children or vulnerable persons and the applicant must consent in writing to a vulnerable sector search.

When applying to work or volunteer within the vulnerable sector, in addition to having a criminal and local police information search conducted an individual is also searched against pardoned sex offenders. Historically, this search required only an individual's name and date of birth to be queried against pardoned sex offenders. It was recently determined that an individual could potentially avoid being linked to their pardoned sex offence(s) if he or she underwent a legal name change, and the name change wasn't reported to the RCMP to update criminal information.

In the interest of public safety, the RCMP recently made enhancements to ensure an unreported name change would not allow a pardoned sexual offender to avoid being identified through a Vulnerable Sector query. These enhancements include automatically performing a separate query on an individual's gender and date of birth only, should their name and date of birth not match a pardon sex offender. Further information regarding Vulnerable Sector checks can be found on the RCMP website.

ADOPTION QUERIES - The RCMP encourages police agencies to conduct fingerprint-based criminal record checks for all applications related to adoptions to ensure they are screened for pardoned sex offences. Further information can be found on the RCMP website.

PARDON APPLICANTS - If you are an applicant seeking a pardon, you should be aware that the National Parole Board also requires a local police check. For more information on pardons, call 1-800-874-2652 for a free booklet.

Police Jurisdiction:

The Port Hope Police Service is able to provide all three types of checks to any resident of the Municipality of Port Hope, Ward 1 and Ward 2. We are also able provide a PCRC to anyone, regardless of residence.

Hours of Operation and Time Frames

You may fill out and pick up completed background checks by attending the office at 55 Fox Road, Port Hope, Ontario, Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. You may also request someone else pick up your background check by signing the appropriate form at the front counter. Alternatively you may have your background check mailed to you. Please indicate your preference in the appropriate spot on the form.

While we endeavor to process requests usually within 2 to 3 business days, unprecedented demand can cause delays. Additional delays may occur if an applicant requires fingerprints or has a previous address outside of the Municipality of Port Hope.

Original completed background checks are kept at the front counter for sixty days after the processing date, after which time they are purged. However, copies are kept on file for two years.

Identification

Two pieces of identification are required on submission of your background check. The primary piece MUST be government-issued and must include the following: Name, Address, Signature and Photo. Acceptable forms of ID include passports, drivers licenses and citizenship cards. The secondary piece can be almost any form of identification with your name on it. Copies of these pieces of identification will be taken and retained with our copy of your completed background check for two years.

Reconsideration Process

Applicants may appeal the inclusion of information on their completed background checks by making a written submission to the Chief of Police, Port Hope Police Service, 55 Fox Road, Box 111, Port Hope, ON L1A 3V5. Requests for reconsideration must be made within 60 days of the completion of the applicant's background check and should include a copy of the background check along with supporting documentation (i.e: court transcripts, correspondence from solicitor).

To qualify for a reconsideration, the results must NOT have included convictions for which a records suspension/pardon has not been received unless the individual was not fingerprinted for the offence. The results also cannot contain outstanding Judicial Orders or cases that are still before the courts, or Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA) entries. These latter entries are bound by the release period prescribed by the YCJA.

Submissions will be reviewed by the Records Appeal Committee who will forward their decision in writing to the applicant within 30 days of receiving the reconsideration request. Decisions rendered by the committee are final and apply to the current background check form as well as any subsequent background check forms, as long as no additional criminal charges have been laid.

Please be advised that being granted a reconsideration does not impact any records held by the Port Hope Police Service. For information regarding a Fingerprint and Photograph Destruction please see¦ Fingerprint and Photo Destruction

Criminal Record Checks for Third Party Companies

The Port Hope Police Service is pleased to be able to provide Police Criminal Record Checks (PCRC's) to large and small businesses and companies across Canada. Please contact our Screening Analyst at (905) 885-8123 ext. 229 for further details.