As we anxiously prepare to enter 2021, ready to embrace what challenges may still lay ahead for us all, the CPIO is aiming to keep you educated and informed with the latest updates and trends in our industry. With that, on December 11, 2020, the Ministry of the Solicitor General, under the Private Investigative Services Branch released a new initiative for 2021, outlining a new Compliance Inspection Strategy (CIS). Compliance inspections ensure licensed agencies fully understand their responsibilities under the PSISA and its Regulations. Compliance inspectors work with and support agencies to ensure appropriate implementation and understanding of the legislation.

These Compliance Inspections have three steps:

STEP 1: Notification of Inspection- All newly licensed agencies are contacted by a compliance inspector within 90 days of their licence issue date to discuss licensing requirements and obligations. This may include a compliance inspection. All licensees are encouraged to review the Act and Regulations to ensure they are complying with all sections of the legislation.

STEP 2: Scheduling an Inspection- Upon arrival, the compliance inspector assigned to your agency will introduce themselves and show their identification including appointment card and badge. The inspection may include:

• discussion with the agency representative
• note-taking
• reviewing files
• collecting documents
• answering any agency representative questions

STEP 3: Providing Inspection Results- When an inspection is complete, the agency will receive a post-inspection letter by email confirming whether they were found compliant or non-compliant. 

An agency is expected to correct all non-compliant areas within 30, 60, or 90 days of receiving the post-inspection letter, depending on the type of non-compliance identified. A follow-up inspection will be scheduled. Failure to correct the non-compliant areas can lead to:

• conditions being placed on the license
• license suspension or license revocation
• charges being laid

Regularly scheduled inspections are carried out once a year following the schedule below. The schedule does not include additional inspections that are performed unannounced, when necessary.

Region	Date Range
Central	January 2021 – March 2021
Eastern	April 2021 – June 2021
Western	April 2021 – June 2021
Northern	July 2021 – September 2021
Central	October 2021 – December 2021

For full details please visit:
http://www.mcscs.jus.gov.on.ca/english/Privatesecurityandinvestigativeservices/Requirementslicensedagencies/ComplianceInspectionandEnforcementProgram.html

If you have questions regarding the compliance inspection and enforcement program, please contact PSISB.Compliance@ontario.ca.

We thank you again for your support, as we continue to ensure the growth of our members through the CPIO. 

CPIO Government Relations Committee