Waterloo Regional Police Service is proud to announce the procurement of a new Police Record Check Program that will provide completed police record checks via email.
Our new format will offer electronic verification of ID for most applicants, which allows for a seamless online process. Electronic police record checks should not be printed. A printed version would not be considered valid or legitimate. Applicants or agencies should follow the below instructions for authentication.
1. An electronic record check is sent to the applicant's email address as a PDF attachment.
2. Using a PDF reader (e.g. Adobe Acrobat), open the PDF.
3. Confirm all information is accurate.
4. Depending on the software you are using, at the top of the PDF's first page, you will see:
5. In the result portion, there will be a box selected with an 'X' inside indicating your record results.
6. At the bottom of the second page, you will find the digital signature from Waterloo Regional Police Service.
7. Select the Click here to verify Digital Signature. This will open a ‘Signature Validation Status’ box as shown. You will be able to see here that the document has not been modified since it was certified. This certifies the record check is authentic.
8. Confirm the Date Completed and Badge Number fields are filled in.
For Volunteers: Applicants will be required to upload an agency volunteer letter (template attached) when applying for their record check. If you do not use this template, please add important fields to your existing volunteer letter such as, name of organization, contact person, and email address, and provide the letter in PDF format. The email you provide should be the email where you expect to receive the completed police record check. More information will be available on our FAQ page once the new system goes live.
Province of Ontario Introduces Free Record Checks for Some Volunteers
While this is not related to the new system, it is timely to communicate this recent change. On April 1, 2022 the province implemented free record checks for volunteers who require a Police Criminal Record Check or a Criminal Record & Judicial Matters Check. It is important to note, this legislation does not apply to the Police Vulnerable Sector Check.
This is an opportunity to review the type of record check your agency requires and ensure the level of record check meets your needs. In the past, many agencies picked the record check based on price, which may not serve your needs. We also see many agencies choosing a Vulnerable Sector check when this level may be contrary to the Criminal Records Act.
Thank you for your patience during the implementation of this new program.
For any questions please contact Angela Post at [email protected] or 519-570-9777, ext. 8807.
Volunteer_Police_Record_Check_Template.pdf