Canadians stunned to learn they have police records, despite ...

[R. LaCasse]

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Date: Sun, August 24, 2014 12:29 pm
From: "Dennis Young" <qraavf...@gryhf.arg>
Subject: Canadians stunned to learn they have police records, despite ...

...never being found guilty


Canadians stunned to learn they have police records, despite never being
found guilty
By: Robert Cribb Foreign, Published on Sat May 17 2014
http://www.thestar.com/news/world/2014/05/17/i_had_no_idea.html

Chris The 27-year-old construction worker hoped that firefighting was a
calling he would one day turn into a profession. He was overjoyed when he
earned a part-time spot at his hometown firefighting service in Caledon last
April. After training for months on weekends and occasional week nights,
Chris (who asked that we not publish his last name) was asked to provide a
"vulnerable sector" police check in August. The results left him stunned.
While the check itself indicated no charges or convictions, there was a
letter attached. "It said I was named in a drug investigation," he says. "I
asked them what was going on because I had no idea. I'd never been talked to
by police, pulled over or brought into a police station."

It turns out a friend had been convicted on drug charges after being
investigated by an undercover police officer. Chris had been out socially
with his pal on three or four occasions when the undercover officer was with
him. "For me to be investigated, I understand, but to go on my record when
I was hanging out with a group of people? My friend sold drugs. He's an
idiot. But I shouldn't get penalized for what he did." He says he was never
questioned so he had no idea there was a mark on his police record. "I
thought you had to be at least questioned before you got a record. I was
just hanging out (with my friend) while he was investigated."

A few days later, he received a couriered letter from the town saying he was
terminated from the fire service due to a "non-clean" background check.
Unless the law changes, firefighting is no longer a career possibility for
Chris anywhere in Canada. Living in a small town, the stigma lingers, he
says. "It's embarrassing. I run into people all the time and they think I'm
a drug dealer. Everyone knows you got kicked off in a small town."

RELATED : No charges, no trial, but presumed guilty

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