Does RCMP run daily/weekly criminal background checks????

[CanadianBaconPancakes]

I imagine if your off committing violent crimes they have ways to be informed.

[rascal1]

Either you have a criminal record or not. If they're 'dropped' why would they need to get the record erased. I think your friends may have left something out of their story to you. A paper file from 1966 with "dropped" charges would never have made it onto CPIC unless there was a criminal conviction, and even then I'd have to get a 1966 criminal code, but for example it's currently a straight summary offence, which means no fingerprints, which means no "criminal record" because if we don't send prints in it never happened.

CPIC isn't the individual forces' database. "Charges" or their status in an investigation doesn't get updated on CPIC, and the closest information you'd get connecting the two would be release conditions. And those don't generally say what the release conditions are for. (Usually you can guess based on experience, but that's all)

I think there is a rather massive understanding how CPIC works and what impact the day to day work of police actually have on it. For example the only people in our detachment that can update anything on CPIC is our secretaries. My access for lack of a better term is "read-only", and same goes from nearly every officer in my outfit. Some places an NCO has to use CPIC simply because there is no secretary available or trustworthy enough to have access.

City forces use CPIC a lot more than we do, but they use it as a communication method, that's about the only difference that I know of. Someone in a muni force can chime in on that one.

That sounds about right Jon. It is a very restricted system with only a few people having the privileges to enter and remove info. It is constantly being updated with new info and purged of old info.

[KRJ]

Either you have a criminal record or not. If they're 'dropped' why would they need to get the record erased. I think your friends may have left something out of their story to you. A paper file from 1966 with "dropped" charges would never have made it onto CPIC unless there was a criminal conviction, and even then I'd have to get a 1966 criminal code, but for example it's currently a straight summary offence, which means no fingerprints, which means no "criminal record" because if we don't send prints in it never happened.

CPIC isn't the individual forces' database. "Charges" or their status in an investigation doesn't get updated on CPIC, and the closest information you'd get connecting the two would be release conditions. And those don't generally say what the release conditions are for. (Usually you can guess based on experience, but that's all)

I think there is a rather massive understanding how CPIC works and what impact the day to day work of police actually have on it. For example the only people in our detachment that can update anything on CPIC is our secretaries. My access for lack of a better term is "read-only", and same goes from nearly every officer in my outfit. Some places an NCO has to use CPIC simply because there is no secretary available or trustworthy enough to have access.

City forces use CPIC a lot more than we do, but they use it as a communication method, that's about the only difference that I know of. Someone in a muni force can chime in on that one.

Jon, Not to call you on anything but.... The city police may access more often but do they update more often. With the RCMP it is one agency from top to bottom. Now I am not saying things always work the way they should but there is less of a issue. I know for a fact that CPIC records and certain police records differ on myself. The only thing that shows on CPIC & the other databases(there is more then one & they are all useless) is from a small town RCMP detachment.


As for US border guards:
1) They ask if you have been arrested not convicted.
2) They have greater access then a guy doing a traffic stop.
3) When you talk to border guards it is best to know what they see.
4) Get a random cop to run your name if you are unsure. A good way to do this is ask a random cop when you are drunk where the nearest holding cells are & check to see if the warrant is cleared up. They'll do it.

[Jon.]

Jon, Not to call you on anything but.... The city police may access more often but do they update more often. With the RCMP it is one agency from top to bottom. Now I am not saying things always work the way they should but there is less of a issue. I know for a fact that CPIC records and certain police records differ on myself. The only thing that shows on CPIC & the other databases(there is more then one & they are all useless) is from a small town RCMP detachment.

Of course they differ. CPIC isn't tied to the individual forces file system. PROS is our database. CPIC is a national database that caters to no one and is at arms length from any outside file system. It would implode if it had to retain all the data say Wayburn let alone the RCMP retained day to day.

As for US border guards:
1) They ask if you have been arrested not convicted.
2) They have greater access then a guy doing a traffic stop.
3) When you talk to border guards it is best to know what they see.
4) Get a random cop to run your name if you are unsure. A good way to do this is ask a random cop when you are drunk where the nearest holding cells are & check to see if the warrant is cleared up. They'll do it.

1. I know that and have avoided arresting several times so not to screw up someone's life. But you can't purge or remove an arrest from your past. Even pardons aren't recognized by any country but our own. USA don't care .
2. Of course. They have US records as well. But any agency can run a PIP check and get back info from others.

3. I guess if you're worried about something showing up. Not a concern personally as you can imagine.

4. Terrible advice. First I don't drink but they are only going to tell you if you have a warrant or not. No details and they are under no obligation, and aren't allowed to tell you details on any records or investigations really. And you run the risk of being arrested for being drunk in public. So don't do that.

[Jon.]

Just to add. Easier this way since I'm on an ipad. The criminal records aren't updated by the police. We merely send in the prints with a disposition sheet and or use the livescan and the cpic people do it. We have no records management authority. Basically we put current court conditions, stolen property, lost passports, etc on it. Then it's just access nothing else. For example all I can do that can change anything whatsoever is remove a warrant that my own detachment added.

It's the same for city forces, they just like to use it for communication as well.

[justinb1981]

It's not exactly a daily background check. If you have any dealings with the police they will enter your name into CPIC. Your provincial CFO is then notified. They can take no action, investigate further or suspend your PAL immidiately

[Trimmer 905]

Either you have a criminal record or not. If they're 'dropped' why would they need to get the record erased. I think your friends may have left something out of their story to you. A paper file from 1966 with "dropped" charges would never have made it onto CPIC unless there was a criminal conviction, and even then I'd have to get a 1966 criminal code, but for example it's currently a straight summary offence, which means no fingerprints, which means no "criminal record" because if we don't send prints in it never happened.

CPIC isn't the individual forces' database. "Charges" or their status in an investigation doesn't get updated on CPIC, and the closest information you'd get connecting the two would be release conditions. And those don't generally say what the release conditions are for. (Usually you can guess based on experience, but that's all)

I think there is a rather massive understanding how CPIC works and what impact the day to day work of police actually have on it. For example the only people in our detachment that can update anything on CPIC is our secretaries. My access for lack of a better term is "read-only", and same goes from nearly every officer in my outfit. Some places an NCO has to use CPIC simply because there is no secretary available or trustworthy enough to have access.

City forces use CPIC a lot more than we do, but they use it as a communication method, that's about the only difference that I know of. Someone in a muni force can chime in on that one.

I believe this was a simple case of update failure on someone's part AFTER the charges were dropped. The bureaucratic boondoggle to have it "updated" was epic.....and expensive.

[Jon.]

I believe this was a simple case of update failure on someone's part AFTER the charges were dropped. The bureaucratic boondoggle to have it "updated" was epic.....and expensive.

You aren't understanding how cpic works. "Charges" aren't put on cpic, only convictions. And then only convictions with fingerprints. If the police dropped charges there is no way for those to be on cpic. It's a national records system, not a local force file system. Cpic didn't even exist until 1972 so how a dropped charge from 1966 could make its way on isn't possible.

[Trimmer 905]

You aren't understanding how cpic works. "Charges" aren't put on cpic, only convictions. And then only convictions with fingerprints. If the police dropped charges there is no way for those to be on cpic. It's a national records system, not a local force file system. Cpic didn't even exist until 1972 so how a dropped charge from 1966 could make its way on isn't possible.

It's possible I may have the wrong date or,mabe,they did pay a ticket. Now,I'm not sure,so,I'll find out before I post any more.

[KRJ]

Just to add. Easier this way since I'm on an ipad. The criminal records aren't updated by the police. We merely send in the prints with a disposition sheet and or use the livescan and the cpic people do it. We have no records management authority. Basically we put current court conditions, stolen property, lost passports, etc on it. Then it's just access nothing else. For example all I can do that can change anything whatsoever is remove a warrant that my own detachment added.

It's the same for city forces, they just like to use it for communication as well.

I fully agree with everything you have said in the last couple of points. I also know what you have said to be true as a matter of law and of policy. My comments on 1-4 follow.

1) a large percentage of arrests as defined by the SCC would never be recorded.

2)nothing to add to this one.

3)Well I know it doesn't look great but there are officers with a entry in one or 2 of the databases. I'll take your word for it any how. I like my statements to match the database the individual that I am talking to.

4) Yes not the best advise. However it's like getting a room number from the front desk of a hotel. It doesn't really matter what either the law prohibits or policy prevents. You lay questions the right way and observe the screen you can find out a bit. People are usually the weak point in any system.

As for CPIC the police department must submit the prints and the results. The RCMP have a policy of submitting all records. The various city(etc) police have different policies & timelines and different rates of compliance with said policies. I know with a fair degree of certainty that one of my convictions will never become a entry into CPIC.