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Program directory · Royal Canadian Mounted Police

Forensic Science and Identification Services

Program code
BXH03 (RCMP)
Core responsibility
National Specialized Services
In Departmental Plans
2019-20 – 2026-27 · New since an earlier plan

What it does

The Forensic Science and Identification Services (FS&IS) provides quality investigative support services through a wide range of forensic programs and services to clients in Canada and internationally through forensic laboratory services, fingerprint identification, criminal record repositories, public safety and criminal justice information, and the National DNA Data Bank. Integrated Forensic Identification Services supports Forensic Identification members by providing policy and program support and overseeing the Forensic Identification Training programs.

Source: the department's Program Inventory, via GC InfoBase.

History and lineage

First appears in GC InfoBase's actual spending by program in 2019-20. The data does not record when a program was created; it may be older than its first appearance here, which is limited by the sources (program spending starts in 2010-11, Departmental Plans in 2018-19).

2019-202020-212021-222022-232023-242024-252025-262026-272027-282028-29Forensic Science and Identification Services 2019-20: $96.6MForensic Science and Identification Services 2020-21: $74.2MForensic Science and Identification Services 2021-22: $83.7MForensic Science and Identification Services 2022-23: $91.5MForensic Science and Identification Services 2023-24: $83.3MForensic Science and Identification Services 2024-25: $84.6MForensic Science and Identification Services 2025-26: $89.1MForensic Science and Identification Services 2026-27: $89MForensic Science and Identification Services 2027-28: $89MForensic Science and Identification Services 2028-29: $87.3MForensic Science and Identification Services
Bars: spending by fiscal year (dark: actual; light: actual restated on the 2017-18 program structure; outlined: the latest plan's forecast; grey: related programs). Bands: each program in the lineage over the years it has data.
ProgramRelationYears with dataActual spending over those years
Forensic Science and Identification ServicesThis program2019-20 – 2028-29$514M

No earlier or later program in the same department has a similar name.

Significant changes in scope and budget

Detected from the data: renames between plans, programs it appears to replace, merge with or split into (matched by name), year-over-year changes in spending of at least 25% and $5M, or in employees of at least 20% and 25 FTEs, linked budget measures, and results indicators added or dropped.

YearWhat changedSource
2026-27Indicators added: Percentage of forensic laboratory firearms toolmark identification service requests completed within target time; Percentage of forensic laboratory National Anti-Counterfeiting Bureau service requests completed within target time; Percentage of forensic laboratory toxicology service requests completed within target time; Percentage of forensic laboratory trace evidence service requests completed within target timeDepartmental Results Framework (GC InfoBase)

Success criteria

The program's indicators from its department's Departmental Results Framework: the target set in each year's plan, and the result reported the following year. Source: GC InfoBase.

Historical: targets against results

Percentage of forensic laboratory biology service requests completed within target time
Expected result: Improved timeliness of forensics services capabilities
53%2019-20✗ not met51%2020-21✗ not met62%2021-22✗ not met56%2022-23✗ not met38%2023-24✗ not met45%2024-25✗ not met

Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.

Report yearTargetDueResultStatus
2019-20≥ 85%202053%
Despite the nine-week suspension of non-violent offences as a mitigating measure, the results were affected by the Surrey laboratory transition that reduced the DNA processing capacity to two sites.
Not met
2020-21≥ 85%202151%
The performance results were affected by the operationally challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and related social distancing requirements implemented in workplaces during fiscal 2020-2021.
Not met
2021-22≥ 80%202262%
Several vacancies in Biology's search unit at two processing sites have hampered the fulfillment of targets. The pandemic also continues to have an overarching effect on service delivery.
Not met
2022-23≥ 80%202356%
Program operated at or near capacity for the fiscal year. Residual impacts of pandemic continue to impact service standards. Continual mitigation efforts ongoing.
Not met
2023-24≥ 80%202438%
The Biology Program operated at or near capacity for the fiscal year. New DNA technology was introduced requiring training for all reporting scientists and significantly impacted target times percentage.
Not met
2024-25≥ 80%202545%
Program operated at capacity for the fiscal year (i.e., reached 8,500 service requests in total). Fiscal year 2024-25 budget constraints have dramatically reduced National Forensic Laboratory Services' (NFLS) use of contracted laboratory capacity, shifting approximately 1,000 additional service requests per fiscal year to NFLS for
Not met

Current: the 2026-27 plan's targets

Percentage of forensic laboratory biology service requests completed within target time
Expected result: Improved timeliness of forensics services capabilities
80%2026-27

Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.

Report yearTargetDueResultStatus
2026-27≥ 80%2027—Planned
Percentage of forensic laboratory firearms toolmark identification service requests completed within target time
Expected result: Improved timeliness of forensics services capabilities
80%2026-27

Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.

Report yearTargetDueResultStatus
2026-27≥ 80%2027—Planned
Percentage of forensic laboratory National Anti-Counterfeiting Bureau service requests completed within target time
Expected result: Improved timeliness of forensics services capabilities
80%2026-27

Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.

Report yearTargetDueResultStatus
2026-27≥ 80%2027—Planned
Percentage of forensic laboratory toxicology service requests completed within target time
Expected result: Improved timeliness of forensics services capabilities
80%2026-27

Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.

Report yearTargetDueResultStatus
2026-27≥ 80%2027—Planned
Percentage of forensic laboratory trace evidence service requests completed within target time
Expected result: Improved timeliness of forensics services capabilities
80%2026-27

Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.

Report yearTargetDueResultStatus
2026-27≥ 80%2027—Planned

Future goals: targets due after 2026-27

No targets with a later due date.

Spending and employees: planned against actual

Spending

2019-20: $85.8M2019-20: $96.6M2019-202020-21: $82.5M2020-21: $74.2M2020-212021-22: $74.5M2021-22: $83.7M2021-222022-23: $78.9M2022-23: $91.5M2022-232023-24: $78.5M2023-24: $83.3M2023-242024-25: $86.9M2024-25: $84.6M2024-252025-26: $89.1M2025-262026-27: $89M2026-272027-28: $89M2027-282028-29: $87.3M2028-29
Outlined bar: planned in that year's Departmental Plan (dashed: the latest plan, for years not yet reported). Filled bar: actual.
Show the numbers
Fiscal yearPlannedActual
2019-20$85.8M$96.6M
2020-21$82.5M$74.2M
2021-22$74.5M$83.7M
2022-23$78.9M$91.5M
2023-24$78.5M$83.3M
2024-25$86.9M$84.6M
2025-26$89.1M—
2026-27$89M—
2027-28$89M*—
2028-29$87.3M*—

Employees (FTEs)

2019-20: 6762019-20: 6582019-202020-21: 6832020-21: 6572020-212021-22: 7362021-22: 6342021-222022-23: 7252022-23: 6262022-232023-24: 7262023-24: 6312023-242024-25: 7262024-25: 6652024-252025-26: 7252025-262026-27: 7252026-272027-28: 7252027-282028-29: 7252028-29
Outlined bar: planned in that year's Departmental Plan (dashed: the latest plan, for years not yet reported). Filled bar: actual.
Show the numbers
Fiscal yearPlannedActual
2019-20676658
2020-21683657
2021-22736634
2022-23725626
2023-24726631
2024-25726665
2025-26725—
2026-27725—
2027-28725*—
2028-29725*—

Planned spending, plan by plan

Each row is one year's Departmental Plan and its forecast for the next three fiscal years; read a column down to see how the forecast for one year changed. The last row is what was actually spent. Click an amount for its source. Biggest changes in federal spending plans

Plan2019-202020-212021-222022-232023-242024-252025-262026-272027-282028-29
2019-20 plan$85,828,087$81,203,780$81,806,282
2020-21 plan$82,534,550$83,369,029$83,549,833
2021-22 plan$74,510,584$74,693,848$74,316,198
2022-23 plan$78,888,913$76,986,034$77,527,271
2023-24 plan$78,530,189$79,118,038$79,122,517
2024-25 plan$86,887,938$87,758,479$88,258,140
2025-26 plan$89,100,653$89,073,899$89,481,255
2026-27 plan$89,013,072$88,966,249$87,320,655
Actual$96,619,000$74,175,325$83,675,725$91,522,996$83,333,958$84,642,500

Actual spending is from Departmental Results Reports and the Public Accounts, as published in GC InfoBase. FTEs are full-time equivalents.