Save yourself a trip to the station: Regina police ponder online criminal record checks

If you've ever had to wait in line for a criminal record check at the Regina police station, you might have learned it's not exactly Disneyland.

In a move to improve the customer's experience, the Regina Police Service is looking at moving their record check process to an online format.

"It's more convenient," said Tracy Raison, access to information supervisor with the police service, noting that wait times for the checks can be long, as lineups can grow from five to 50 people in a short period.

The busiest times for checks tend to occur during September and October as classes resume at schools, she said.

"You have every volunteer parent and coach coming through, and it takes 45 minutes then. That's when our room is at full capacity," she said.

Under the proposed online service, record checks would be ordered and paid for online, and the results mailed to the customer.

Regina police said they hope to implement the online process as soon as next year, if the option is deemed feasible.

The consideration comes in response to feedback from people requesting record checks, according to Raison.

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The exceptions

Although an online criminal record check would have a standard process, there are times when residents won't be able to escape coming in to complete one.

For instance, if you receive what's known as a "vulnerable sector hit," you'll need to visit the station to get fingerprinted.

A vulnerable sector hit happens when your birthday matches that of someone who has received a record suspension (formerly known as a pardon) for a sexual offence. Police must compare fingerprints to ensure the person requesting the criminal record check isn't the offender.