Ontario’s Association of Chiefs of Police have released new guidelines for police services that will improve the Police Record Checks process in Ontario and ensure an equal level of service under the province’s related legislation, policies, procedures, and directives.

Under the new guidelines, people of lived experience with mental illness in Ontario may no longer have non-criminal contact with police appear during police records check.

The province-wide guidelines are not binding but OACP members, including the Ontario Provincial Police, have started training to use the new guidelines.

Disclosure decisions related to background checks had previously been at the discretion of each police service.

The Mental Health Commission of Canada’s Mental Health and the Law Advisory Committee previously recommended that police services in the country adopt a policy to not disclose civil apprehensions under Mental Health Acts to third parties. This position was adopted by MHCC Board of Directors in May 2008, with the province of Saskatchewan adopting such a policy in 2009.

MHCC’s Mental Health and the Law AC is currently studying interactions between people who have lived experience of mental illness and the police. The findings of that study are expected to be released in August.

OACP LEARN Guideline for Police Record Checks - Full 72-page document

OACP Press Release - OACP Releases Guideline for Police Record Checks

Learn more about the Commission’s work in the field of Mental Health and the Law.


-- Reprinted with permission