Police information checks, formerly called criminal record checks, can be processed more quickly now.
Staff Sgt. Scott West of the Salmon Arm detachment explained at city council’s Sept. 14 meeting that the detachment’s Live Scan equipment has been installed. West said the detachment has had the equipment for a while, but there was a delay in getting the contractor to set it up.
Live Scan is a technological development that makes it possible to capture and submit fingerprints electronically, so police can submit directly to a database in Ottawa.
“As opposed to three to six months for vulnerable sectors checks... we’re now down to a period of a week or two in hearing back from those,” West told council.
He said staff have been sent on “field trips” to get training with the new system, which he said is helping the Salmon Arm detachment avoid some of the problems that Kamloops and other detachments have experienced.