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Title: Aging Police Computer System Poses Public Danger: Auditor

SANDRA CORDON - Canada-Montreal Gazette

April 11, 2000

OTTAWA (CP) - Canadians could be put in danger because of serious flaws in police information systems, warns Auditor General Denis Desautels.

The Canadian Police Information Centre - the aging computer system which delivers crucial online information to cops about criminals - failed 11 per cent of the time last year, Desautels said in an audit Tuesday. Meanwhile, delays as long as two months in entering criminals' fingerprints and other identification means up-to-date information isn't always available to authorities.

"Delays endanger public safety because criminals have more opportunity to reoffend," said Desautels, who pointed to serial killer Paul Bernardo as an example.

A two-year lag in processing DNA - genetic material - from Bernardo allowed him to commit several rapes and two murders before being caught.

Desautels also warned that a 10-year delay in getting approval for a new computer system means there are serious questions as to whether CPIC will keep running until its replacement - which was approved for funding only one year ago - will be ready.

"This is a situation that management needs to monitor closely."

Information provided by the Mounties to criminal justice authorities is vital, noted Desautels:

- Parole boards need accurate information on a criminal's history to make a sound decision on whether he should be released, and under what conditions.

- Cops need to know if the car they've stopped is stolen or if the driver is dangerous.

- Employers need to know if a new employee has a criminal record.

"It is imperative that senior management at the RCMP take action to eliminate backlogs in many of the services and improve efficiency," the auditor said.

His report found dangerously long delays in providing the results of DNA analysis and backlogs in the input of fingerprints and criminal history records.

An inquiry into the Bernardo case recommended a 30-day turnaround time for DNA analysis.

Such tests are essential to police in building a case against a criminal - or releasing the wrongly convicted, such as Guy Paul Morin and David Milgaard.

An RCMP lab can take as little as two days to fully analyse DNA, the auditor found.

But, in an October 1998 crime involving the sexual assault of a child, police had to wait more than seven months to get necessary DNA proof from the lab before they could arrest their suspect.

Cases sent to the RCMP labs have to be better ranked by importance and backlogs cut down, the auditor recommended.

The Mounties provide laboratory services for police forces, courts, prison and parole authorities throughout much of Canada out of six forensic labs scattered across the country from Halifax to Regina to Vancouver.

Under federal-provincial agreements, they maintain data banks on vehicle and licence registrations, criminal records as well as the CPIC computer link - at a cost of about $122 million for 1998-99.

For years, the RCMP have complained of being underfunded.

In the February budget, the Mounties' funding was boosted by about $166 million after years of cuts and freezes.

Many critics say that isn't nearly enough.

Desautels noted the RCMP have taken a number of steps to improve matters: developing a new DNA data bank, upgrading fingerprint identification methods and upgraded criminal record systems.

The force agrees with the audit findings, added Desautels.

) The Canadian Press, 2000

http://www.southam.com/montrealgazette/cgi/newsnow.pl?file=/cpfs/national/000411/n041186.html

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-- (Dee360Degree@aol.com), April 11, 2000

Answers

Waiting seven months to get back DNA evidence from a Lab is really stretching the point of crying need for improvement.

-- Loner (loner@bigfoot.com), April 11, 2000.

I wonder how far behind the F.B.I. is running.

-- LillyLP (lillyLP@aol.com), April 11, 2000.

Loner

"But, in an October 1998 crime involving the sexual assault of a child, police had to wait more than seven months to get necessary DNA proof from the lab before they could arrest their suspect."

Swissair Flight 111 went down Sept.2/3, 1998 of the coast of Nova Scotia. For several months thereafter the DNA labs were tied-up doing testing on its victims. Many court cases in Canada were delayed as a result. I'm surprised the auditor general didn't mention it.

-- Rachel Gibson (rgibson@hotmail.com), April 11, 2000.

Rachel:

You're right. I had forgot about that.

-- Loner (loner@bigfoot.com), April 12, 2000.

It looks like a heyday for criminals operating in Canada coming up. Immigration on the part of our U.S. rowdies should be of prime consideraion. Looks like the Mounties are going to have their hands full.

-- Wellesley (wellesley@freeport.net), April 12, 2000.

"Immigration on the part of our U.S. rowdies should be of prime consideraion."

Oh, Wellesley, you said it!! I gritted my teeth all through the US media/gov concern about "terrorists" sneaking into that country from Canada--you're probably well aware of the flotsam that floats the opposite direction!

Lest we be accused of floating too far off-topic, last week the Cdn gov announced it would be using a new computerized system at the border that involved "pre-approval" of some travellers to speed-up border crossings. Supposedly those pre-approved will be "legitimate, honest business people/citizens." Uh huh.

-- Rachel Gibson (rgibson@hotmail.com), April 12, 2000.