Has anybody ever done any type of background/police check/vulnerable sector screening with a theft under 5000 charge? What was the outcome?

I do background/police checks every day. The rusults vary from "no record found" to multiple records found.

I am not familiar with Canada's "Vulnerable Sector Screening" system.

Hi RickJ,

The application form that I've received for the vulnerable sector screening in Canada states that this will be included in the check:

" CRIMINAL CHARGES RESULTING IN DISPOSITIONS INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, WITHDRAWN, DISMISSED, AND CASES OF NOT CRIMINALLY RESPONSIBLE BY REASON OF MENTAL DISORDER AS LISTED ON LOCAL INDICES.
• POLICE CONTACTS INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THEFT, WEAPONS, SEX OFFENCES, DISPUTES/DISTURBANCES, OR VIOLENT, HARMFUL AND THREATENING BEHAVIOUR."

How accurate is this? I have a withdrawn charge for theft under 5000, so do you think this will show up? Or is it ultimately up to the people doing the background check?

Apparently the check might, as the disclaimer says, show a charge that was withdrawn. I don't think that it will be up to the people doing the check, but will be whether the charge was removed from the database (the database that will be queried by the Vulnerable Sector Screening) when it was withdrawn.

If it does show up, then it will be up to the people doing the background check as to whether to disregard it (since it was withdrawn) or count it as reason to count it against you.

Hi RickJ, I just have a few more questions. Sorry about that!

Let's say I had my charges withdrawn and it showed up on the Vulnerable Sector Screening check. That means the people doing the check will put a checkmark beside the "possible match" box on the paper. Once you have a "possible match", does that automatically mean that your VSS will show up positive? Is there any possibility that the Vulnerable Sector Screening could indicate that you have had a withdrawn charge, but could still pass the screening and say that you are clear and okay to work? Also, since I live in another town instead of my hometown for university, will the "local records" section of the vulnerable sector screening mean that it won't have my local record from my hometown, since that's where I committed the crime?

THANKS SO MUCH

IF the withdrawn charge shows up, then it is up to the person running the check to determine whether to indicate it as nothing, possible match or positive.

You can either
a) just wait and see what happens, or
b) contact the potential employer to follow up on the process... and if they bring this issue up, point out that the charge was withdrawn.

Seems to me that if they are reasonable, then they should not count the withdrawn charge against you.

When the police check is given/mailed back to you, and you want to speak with someone about the check (for example, if the withdrawn charge really ended up showing on the check and indicating my check as positive), can any changes be done, or is that the final outcome?

I read somewhere that a withdrawn charge could also show up as a police contact. Do you know if this is possible too? Because I'm not sure if a police contact would be less likely to show up as "positive" than an actual charge.

I have here a form:

http://www.torontopolice.on.ca/publications/files/forms/fingerprint_destruction.pdf

This form is for file destruction in Canada (toronto specifically, but they're generally all the same).

I was just wondering, if this form is completed and sent for file destruction and was approved, does that mean only your fingerprints are destroyed? (since it also says "and Records of Disposition") I have a withdrawn charge, so I was wondering if that would also be removed from databases.

Thanks for your help!

Hi RickJ,

Sorry to always be asking you so many questions. I handed in my form today for the police check, and I see it says that "Charged and processed by other means such as Diversion will be released as police contact only."

Does this mean that since I received diversion for my charge, it will be a police contact on the check? Does having a police contact mean you have a criminal record?

Thanks so much.