Nunavut RCMP: we can now do criminal record checks in days

A new technology called “Cardscan” allows the Nunavut RCMP to do criminal record checks in just a few days. (FILE PHOTO)

Criminal record checks that require fingerprint submissions can now be processed in a matter of days, a Sept. 17 news release from the Nunavut RCMP said.

A modernization of the Nunavut RCMP’s technology allows the electronic submission of fingerprints for comparison with the National Fingerprint Data Base in Ottawa, the release said.

Until now, physical copies of fingerprints were sent to Ottawa for comparison, a process that could take up to 10 weeks.

Some employers complained this delay caused backlogs in hiring.

Now, physical copies of fingerprints are first sent to one of three “hubs” in Nunavut — Rankin Inlet, Cambridge Bay or Resolute Bay —and then sent electronically to Ottawa, the release said.

Iqaluit already has the modernized technology, which the release called “CardScan,” but will not act as a hub for other Nunavut communities.

Criminal record checks, most often requested by employers, are mandatory for those working in what’s considered the vulnerable sector — jobs involving contact with children, elders or handicapped people.

Most employer-requested criminal record checks do not require fingerprint submissions, the press release said, but those that do will have a $50 fee applied.

That fee is waived in certain circumstances, such as in Canadian citizenship applications and if the applicant works for a registered non-profit organization, according to the release.