Freedom of Information Requests (RCMP)

Last revised February 21, 2020

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police Access to Information and Privacy Branch (ATIP) provides formal responses to access to information requests under the Access to Information Act (RSC 1985, c. A-1) and the Privacy Act (RSC 1985, c. P-21).

There is no difference between a request made by an individual, lawyer, the media, or politicians.  You will receive the same information if you send in the request yourself or if you hire a lawyer to act on your behalf. Furthermore, a request is not processed faster if it is sent by someone representing you. Requests are handled on a first come first serve basis. Community status or professional titles will not slow down or expedite the processing of a request.

Privacy Act

The Privacy Act provides individuals the right to seek access to their personal information that is held by the federal government, as well as to govern the collection, use, disclosure, retention and disposal of personal information.

Section 3(a) to (i) outlines the basis of what is considered personal information.

Section 11 discusses the personal information index to all personal information banks.

Section 13(2) states that a request for access to personal information shall be made in writing to the government institution that has control of the information.

When a request is made, the person making the request has to provide specific information on the location and nature of the records in order for the institution to be able to retrieve the documents in question.

There is no cost associated with the processing of a Privacy Act request.
 

Access to Information Act

The Access to Information Act gives both individuals and corporations present in Canada the right to seek access to federally controlled non-personal information and records, including employment information of an individual working for the federal government such as:

• job classification
• work related correspondence
• details of employment contract
• salary range
• work telephone and fax number
• job title
• security level of position

How can I find out what records the government is holding?

The first step is to contact the government institution you believe has the information, and seek confirmation. If that approach is not successful, you can contact the Information Commissioner or Privacy Commissioner appointed under the federal or provincial legislation, and request his or her assistance.

Who can access personal information?

• Every individual who is a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident within Canada.
• Any information deemed personal that is held by the federal government can only be released to the individual it pertains to, unless that person has given consent to a third party allowing them to have access to that information.
• Personal information about a deceased person under the control of a federal institution is still considered personal for 20 years after the date of death , and may not be released. This includes information gathered by the RCMP during an investigation.
• In cases where personal information is requested and consent is unavailable, for example fatalities , section 8(2)(c) of the Privacy Act may permit the release of the information for the purpose of complying with a subpoena or court order.
• The Privacy Act does not make provisions for spouses or family members to access a deceased’s personal information that may be contained in a RCMP operational file.
• In relation to the administration of an estate, the Privacy Act Regulations does permit the release of certain information to allow the executor to carry out their duties. However, the requester must demonstrate that disclosure is required to settle the estate.

Privacy Act Request

For the RCMP to process a Privacy Act request, they require the following information:

• full name
• date of birth
• information about the type of records that are being requested
• the Personal Information Bank required to be searched
• specific location(s) to conduct our search such as towns or detachments
• a return address to send the information to
• an original signature
• RCMP file number if available (Although RCMP file numbers are not required, the more information provided will allow the ATIP branch to provide you with the specific documents you are seeking access to.)

You may either submit your request on the RCMP specific form, the Treasury Board form or simply write a letter and send it to:

RCMP Mail Stop #61
73 Leikin Drive
Ottawa Ontario
K1A 0R2

Access to Information Request

To make an Access to Information request, you may either submit your request on the RCMP specific form, Treasury Board form or by writing a letter outlining what it is you are requesting and sending it to:

RCMP Mail Stop #61
73 Leikin Drive
Ottawa Ontario
K1A 0R2

Please note:
There is an initial $5.00 processing fee , which covers the first 5 hours of research time for a request. If a request requires more than 5 hours to research, a fee estimate will be calculated and sent to you detailing the costs. The cost of research beyond the 5 hours mark is $10 per hour. There are also provisions for reproduction fees chargeable to the requester.