A $40 fee for employment-related criminal record checks performed by the local RCMP detachment offices will come into effect in both Warman and Martensville on February 1, 2022.
Warman City Council gave second and third readings to a bylaw amending security clearance fees at its meeting on Monday, December 13. The amended bylaw, which received first reading at a Warman council meeting in late November, implements a fee of $40 for employment-related criminal record checks only, and stipulates the fee will come into effect February 1.
Volunteer-related criminal record checks and vulnerable sector checks will continue to be free of charge under the amended bylaw.
Martensville City Council discussed similar amendments to its bylaw at a committee of the whole meeting on Tuesday, December 14. The amended bylaw, which stipulates February 1, 2022 as the implementation date for employment-related criminal record check fees, is slated to be on the next Martensville City Council meeting agenda on Tuesday, December 21. The amended bylaw is likely to pass all three readings at that meeting.
The $40 fee for employment-related criminal record checks is intended to ensure the cost of the service is uniform between the two cities. Fees must be paid at either Warman or Martensville City Hall, and a receipt for payment must then be presented to the RCMP office in either city before the service can be performed.
Criminal record checks and vulnerable sector checks account for a large percentage of the workload of staff at both detachment offices, according to the RCMP. Last year, the RCMP detachment conducted a total of 6,640 checks at the two offices.
In Warman in 2020, 3,560 criminal record checks and vulnerable sector checks were conducted for employment purposes. In addition, the Warman office conducted 1,484 criminal record checks and vulnerable sector checks for volunteer purposes.
In 2020, the Martensville detachment office conducted 396 criminal record checks and vulnerable sector checks for employment purposes, and 1,200 criminal record checks and vulnerable sector checks for volunteer purposes.
Earlier this fall, the RCMP Advisory Board recommended the two cities introduce fees for employment-related criminal record and vulnerable sector checks. The advisory board recommended against any fees for volunteer-related checks.
Warman and Martensville City Clerks surveyed other cities across Saskatchewan to determine whether fees were charged for their police detachments providing similar services. Most, but not all, cities charged fees for both employment-related and volunteer-related checks. The fees ranged from $10 to $75.