Right to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (RTIPPA)
GUIDANCE FOR APPLICANTS – READ THIS FIRST
The Right to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (RTIPPA) provides a process for requesting general or personal information held by public bodies that is not otherwise publicly available. In most cases, information you are looking for can be obtained by contacting the appropriate public body or by checking out their website, where many reports and other materials are made available. If you are still unable to get the information you are looking for, you can make a request under the provisions of RTIPPA. However, this right is not absolute; certain limitations may exclude records from being accessible. Most records will likely be redacted to remove third-party personal and other protected information before disclosure, as directed by RTIPPA.
RTIPPA should generally be used as a last resort to obtain information. For example, accident reports or summaries of incident reports can be obtained through the Woodstock Police Force website for a fee when requested by an insurance company or law firm.
RTIPPA also provides individuals with the right to request corrections to their personal information.
A request for information must be made in writing, unless the applicant has a limited ability to read or write in English or French, or has a disability or condition that impairs their ability to make a written request. The Woodstock Police Force is required to respond in 30 business days (excluding weekends and holidays) to your request, which timeline can be extended by an additional 30 business days. Any extension will be communicated with the applicant in writing with an explanation of the reason.
APPLYING FOR GENERAL INFORMATION
General information is information about the operations, administration, and policies of the Woodstock Police Force rather than about specific individuals, investigations, or incidents.
A good rule of thumb is: if the information could not reasonably be published on our website for the public to see, it is probably not considered general information under RTIPPA.
APPLYING FOR YOUR OWN INFORMATION
A request for your own information is a written request for records of a personal nature about yourself. When making a request, please be as specific as possible. Provide a file number if available. If not, include enough details to help us locate your file, such as what the incident was about, when it occurred, and the names of other parties involved.
Example:
I called the police on March 23, 2023, to report a break and enter at my residence located at 123 Main Street, Woodstock. The responding officers were Constable Jane Smith and Constable John Clark. The incident involved my neighbour, Elizabeth Taylor, who was later identified as a suspect. I am requesting a copy of the police report related to this incident.
IDENTITY VERIFICATION
If you are requesting personal records about yourself, we must verify your identity to ensure we are providing access to the correct individual. You will be asked to provide a copy of valid government-issued photo identification, such as a driver’s licence or passport. This can be provided either when emailing it along with the available form to wpfadmin@nbpolice.ca or when you are applying in person at the police station (824 Main Street, Woodstock, NB; Monday – Friday from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm).
INFORMATION THAT WILL NOT BE PROVIDED
- If you are requesting a police report in which you were personally involved, any information about other individuals will be redacted to protect their privacy.
- Requests for sensitive law enforcement information that could compromise investigations or law enforcement operations will not be provided.
- Police reports may not be released if the investigation is ongoing or if the matter is still before the court.
Other exemptions under RTIPPA may apply depending on the nature of the request.
ACCESSING SOMEONE ELSE’S INFORMATION
To request personal information on behalf of someone else, you must provide legal documentation, such as a power of attorney or a signed authorization, confirming that you are authorized to act on their behalf.
DELIVERY OF THE RECORDS
Electronic delivery is our preferred method for providing your requested records. We ask that you please provide an email address where you would like your records to be delivered. In certain cases, we can mail hard copies to the applicant via Canada Post or hold the package for in-person pick-up at the station. If you choose to pick up your records in person, please be prepared to present valid identification.
For more information, please click here: Right to Information and Protection of Privacy Act.
For the standard form, click here: RTIPPA Request Form