Background Checks & Software

Looking for Criminal records

15th July, 2011 - Posted by Bill Headlemeyer - No Comments

In order, to figure out information about people, the most widely used tool nowadays is the criminal background search. Criminal records are of great help to law enforcement agencies and jobs which require employment checks. One can easily access criminal records online or through old fashioned P.I. skills in order to make search more efficient.

FBI: The only source to nationwide criminal database

Nowadays, you will come across many websites online which advertise that they have access to nationwide database but the only one nationwide criminal database is the FBI. These websites might be having a lot of data in their records but the only database that is liable is the FBI. FBI is also known as the National Crime Information Center. The criminal records at the FBI are strictly confidential and cannot be easily accessed by the general public. Only prominent figures of criminal justice have the right to access the FBI database. Access to this data is strictly prohibited and anyone found guilty is levied with severe penalties. This adheres to the different parties selling and buying these criminal records. There also exists a profitable black market where many people are hosting this exclusive information. This is only possible because they have close ties with other members of the National Crime Information Center who prefer to profit from the relationship.

Criminal Records of State and County

One has the ability to search statewide criminal records in only 29 states. People usually access criminal records through state index but can also retrieve information though the county. County provides the state with a portion of index without which the state index would be incomplete. While looking for criminal records, the best method would be to check both indexes of the state and county.

Various other ways of getting information

One of the other ways of acquiring information in the past was through the court. In order to search criminal records, injection into the judicial process was needed i.e. the party enquiring either had to be a member of the law or a court official. However, the present day scenario is somewhat different. Today we have many online vendors that offer on the spot searches. These searches are derived from the court and include driving and criminal records. Furthermore, the results may take anywhere from 2 to 10 business days to return.

You can also request the court to conduct a free criminal record check through telephone. This process however, is very slow and can take upto weeks or even months to make it back to the requester. This process is not very popular because it is not possible to put 100% faith in a court clerk over the telephone, even though the information may be helpful. The court replies with quality information by way of written requests.

Nowadays, the best way to perform a criminal check is through internet. Various websites now combine states to provide background checks and public records for their requesters. One can access state public records, including background checks, court records, criminal records, and even driving records through these websites which act as a great help in performing these comprehensive searches.

In majority of cases, criminal search is much needed. Since the crime rate is so high in today’s world, the need for criminal search is also increasing. Thanks to online search which has made our task of criminal records easier and less of a hassle. In future, as more and more agencies realize the importance of these searches, we will be able to witness more effective services in due time.

You can find plenty of information about criminal records on the internet. For more information checkout this site on Net Detective.