| How often do you flip the news on, hoping to | | | | Obtain residential information on the person you're |
| catch the weather report, only to hear about | | | | investigating. You'll need to know where they lived |
| another story on "real life crime?" It seems that | | | | for the prior seven years. The cities and states at |
| everywhere we look nowadays, from the | | | | the very least, but again, the more complete data |
| television to the newspaper to the radio; we are | | | | you have, the better. |
| subjected to these tales of horror. Except, unlike | | | | Ideas for locating past addresses:o Search one of |
| an engrossing book we can't put down, these | | | | the many free online services, often they'll pop up |
| stories are happening all around us. From world | | | | every instance of the name that shows up in |
| headlines on down to our very own community, | | | | their database. This means if the person in |
| we are being victimized by criminals in every way | | | | question has moved around, each address |
| imaginable. | | | | associated with their name is likely to be in the |
| We've all been made very aware that we're living | | | | database.o If you do know the prior cities and |
| in dangerous times. To suspect the worst out of | | | | states of their residences; you can search |
| people until we know better is the norm in our | | | | through past telephone directories, criss-cross |
| world. Unfortunately, even the most cautious of | | | | directories (also called city directories and |
| sorts can be led to being swindled by a scam | | | | household directories) at the appropriate local |
| artist, trusting an unfit nanny to take care of their | | | | libraries - and in some cases - online, for complete |
| kids, or even to hiring a dishonest employee. One | | | | addresses of when the individual lived in that |
| of the measures that are used to help protect | | | | area.o And again, if possible, you can always ask |
| against these types of crimes is a seemingly | | | | the individual you're investigating. |
| simple background search focusing on the criminal | | | | Utilize free online sources to locate criminal |
| history of an individual. | | | | records. Once you know the identifying |
| There are many reasons why someone would | | | | information and the jurisdiction of the person |
| want to run a criminal history on another person; | | | | you're investigating, you can find the appropriate |
| however, they all center around one universal | | | | county, city, and state sites to access their public |
| theme - safety. Protecting ourselves, our families, | | | | records. Realize that each state determines what |
| our businesses, and our finances, are our utmost | | | | is considered a "public" record, so you'll have to |
| concerns. Whether your company has regularly | | | | brush up on the laws for the locales you're |
| performed a criminal records search or is just | | | | investigating. |
| starting this process - whether you've personally | | | | Also, it's important to realize that a mere 25% to |
| ever performed such a search before or not; | | | | 35% of criminal data is available online, and this |
| there is specific information you need to know. | | | | includes public data. So, while it's a great place to |
| So, what is a criminal record and what, exactly, | | | | start, it cannot be the basis of a complete |
| does it contain? In general, a criminal record | | | | investigation into your person's criminal history. |
| contains identifying information, history of arrest, | | | | Realize, too, that many of the records will be |
| history of conviction, incarceration information, and | | | | missing key identifying information - such as date |
| any other possible criminal facts about the | | | | of birth, middle names, and/or social security |
| individual in question. Anything from minor | | | | numbers. |
| misdemeanors on up could be found; however, | | | | Pay for a criminal check to be done by an online |
| there are a few things to clarify in the explanation | | | | investigation company. Most, if not all, online |
| of crime records. The breakdown is as follows: | | | | investigative organizations utilize the National |
| Arrest Records include various law enforcement | | | | Criminal File (NCF) as the database they search. |
| records of arrests. Even this has a wide meaning | | | | This file is also the database most commonly |
| - some will only report arrests that led to | | | | researched for pre-employment background |
| convictions while others will report any and all | | | | checks. |
| arrests. | | | | As you know by now, this file isn't actually |
| Criminal Court Records include criminal records | | | | national; however, most states in the U.S. are |
| from local, state, and federal courts. | | | | included. Realize, however, that nearly all of the |
| Corrections Records include prison records that | | | | information that makes up the NCF comes from |
| detail periods of incarceration. | | | | correction records only. Therefore, there are lots |
| State Criminal Repository Records include | | | | of possible holes for missing criminal activity - |
| statewide records that are a compilation of arrest | | | | from county criminal records to state repositories. |
| records, criminal court records, and correction | | | | Anything considered a misdemeanor (an offense |
| records. | | | | less serious than a felony) also will likely not be |
| The largest misconception, and many people hold | | | | included. This means you could receive a clean |
| on to this belief, is that the United States has one | | | | report on an individual who, does indeed, have a |
| national database that is a compilation of all | | | | criminal history. |
| criminal records everywhere - from the local level | | | | Another drawback to the National Criminal File is |
| up to the federal level. This, simply, is not true. | | | | the consistent lack of identifying information, just |
| The closest thing the U.S. has to a nationwide | | | | as with the online public records mentioned above. |
| criminal database is the Interstate Identification | | | | It is rare to find social security numbers or dates |
| Index, or the "Triple-I." | | | | of birth to verify you definitely have the correct |
| This compilation is managed through the National | | | | criminal history for your individual. The more |
| Crime Information Center (NCIC), by the Federal | | | | common the name, the more unlikely it is that |
| Bureau of Investigation (the FBI). The Triple-I will | | | | you'll receive data that won't have to be |
| include criminal events such as: open arrest | | | | confirmed. |
| warrants, arrests, stolen property, missing | | | | There are very few names in our country unique |
| persons, and dispositions regarding felonies and | | | | enough for this to not be an issue. Remember |
| serious misdemeanors (which are defined as any | | | | this, as you will have to dig deeper once you've |
| crime that could result in one year or more of jail | | | | received the report the NCF generated or the |
| time). There are two things to understand about | | | | data you personally retrieved in your search of |
| this database, however. | | | | public criminal records. |
| Only law enforcement personnel and agencies can | | | | Deeper how? Go to the source of the report. |
| access the Triple-I database. There is no | | | | Meaning, you'll have to consult the original data |
| nationwide criminal database available for the | | | | source the compilation came from. You can |
| normal layperson. | | | | request a manual search from a fee-based |
| If a county, city, or state does not report a | | | | investigation company, or you can do it yourself. |
| crime to be entered into this database, it will not | | | | However, it is the only sure way of verifying the |
| be found there. This means that many crimes | | | | information you have is correct. This means you'll |
| that did not result in an incarceration in a federal | | | | have to search civil records in the correct |
| prison will not be found in the Triple-I. | | | | jurisdictions, and while you can do some of this |
| Law enforcement uses the Triple-I for a variety | | | | online - as mentioned above; you may have to |
| of reasons - from collecting a list of suspects for | | | | request the records in writing or go to the actual |
| an unsolved crime to the prosecution of a | | | | county that stores the data. |
| charged individual. That's great for them, but | | | | This is where you'll be able to use the identifying |
| where does this leave the average American who | | | | information you collected. You can compare the |
| needs to conduct a criminal history search? There | | | | date of birth, the social security number, full |
| are a few options - none of them are perfect on | | | | name, and the complete addresses of the person |
| their own, but combined can, and will, give a fairly | | | | at this point. By doing this, you can rule out the |
| accurate picture of the person you're investigating | | | | inherent error probability with a common name. |
| - if done properly. So how, or rather where, do | | | | One last thing to mention. If you uncover |
| you start? | | | | information that leads you to not hire the individual |
| Compile identifying information on the person | | | | in question, you will have to abide by the FCRA |
| you're investigating. You'll need, at a minimum, | | | | (Fair Credit Reporting Act). The FCRA mandates |
| their full name, any prior surnames they may | | | | that when you pass someone over due to a |
| have had, and their date of birth. Be 100% | | | | criminal history report, it is their right by law to |
| positive you have their name spelled correctly. If | | | | view the report you based your decision on. Make |
| you only have their name, you'll have to do a little | | | | sure you follow this law or it could come back to |
| investigative work to get at least their birth date. | | | | haunt you in the form of a lawsuit. |
| Otherwise, you could end up with inaccurate | | | | Criminal history checks are an important facet in |
| criminal records that may not actually belong to | | | | determining if an individual has a history in criminal |
| the individual in question. | | | | activities. As with anything, gaining an accurate |
| Ideas for locating additional information: | | | | criminal report is largely dependent on what you |
| Talk to neighbors, coworkers, family members, or | | | | put into it. With tenacity in acquiring complete |
| even past employers of the person in question. | | | | identifying information, performing a fair and legal |
| Search online telephone directories as they often | | | | search, confirming whatever criminal data you do |
| have the middle name, or at least the middle initial, | | | | find; you will have an informative and accurate |
| noted with the address and phone data. | | | | report at the end. |
| Utilize other online sources to try to gather | | | | After all, the bottom line is determining that those |
| identifying information such as their birth date and | | | | you are seeking to protect - yourself, your |
| other names possibly used. | | | | family, your business, are safe from the criminal |
| If possible, simply ask the person in question! | | | | element. |