The Conservative government proposed changes to the Criminal Code Wednesday that would allow police to fingerprint people who have yet to be charged with a crime.

Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day unveiled proposed changes to Canada's Criminal Code in Vancouver on Wednesday. (Clement Allard/Canadian Press)

At a press conference in Vancouver, Trade Minister Stockwell Day said only those accused of serious, indictable offences would be fingerprinted and photographed before charges were laid.

Day said that would allow a faster charge process, and if the person weren't eventually charged, he or she could ask that the pictures and prints be destroyed.

Currently, police are allowed to photograph and fingerprint the accused only after a formal charge is laid.

Other amendments proposed

The government also wants to make it an offence for people to escape an arrest warrant by jumping from one province to another.

"Previously, offenders … could leave the province in which they had been charged, and think they could just get away without being picked up by going to another province," Day said.

"But we have changed the loophole on this."

The amendments would also give police greater access to warrants over the telephone, allowing them to get search and seizure warrants 24 hours a day.

Abbotsford, B.C., police Chief Bob Rich said the changes are simple, but allow the system to function more easily so police can get on with crime fighting.

With files from The Canadian Press