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Posts Tagged ‘criminal background checks’

Criminal Background Checks Are Easier Than Ever

October 7th, 2009

How often do you come across advertisements for criminal background checks when you are searching for phone numbers and addresses? This tool at one time, was only available to law officials but now is offered to any person or business that is willing to pay the money for it. If you think it is just a ploy for money, think twice.

Criminal background checks have a variety of purposes. Individuals and business have their reasons for needing to run a criminal background check. Some reasons are quite clear. For example, a daycare, or other childcare program may want to run a background check on employees to make sure they have no sex crime charges or other charges against children. It may not be perfect but it is certainly a step in the right direction. Nursing homes or retirement homes may also run criminal background checks on their potential hires or volunteers for similar reasons. Eliminating persons with violent tendencies would be important for this type of facility. Doctors and hospitals may use these checks to find out if workers have drug problems or addictions because these facilities have easy access to drugs.

There are different reasons for wanting to run a criminal background check. Companies may choose to check every applicant to ensure hiring the best employees. Industrial businesses can be a prime example of companies who may want to do a background check of future employees. A business that makes airplanes might want to ensure that their employees have no association to terrorist groups or activities, because they could pose a potential threat. Animal rights activists often try to infiltrate meat packing plants, so these businesses may want to check its employees to make sure they are not associated with such groups.

Neighborhood organizations or individuals may want to run checks on people that reside in a specific area. Some say this is an invasion of privacy, but it allows neighbors to be on alert for sexual predators or people with a violent history. It may not be possible to avoid all situations, but being prepared can help to keep families safer.

You may wonder how to go about doing criminal background checks. You can find many online services that will offer these checks. You need to take the time to evaluate all the offerings before signing up. Many times these checks are not free and you will need to look into these companies before you pay. Keep in mind that some sources can offer information for free. The state department of corrections is a good place to look for information if you know they have prior convictions or are registered sex offenders.

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Conducting Criminal Background Checks : Free Searches vs. Paying for a Service

August 29th, 2009

The federal constitution provides a constitutional guarantee for United States citizens to access certain information in criminal records. Because specific state legislation is required for the implementation of that constitutional right, there is not a nationwide database available to the public even in our technologically sophisticated society.

Finding information is still possible if you are willing to search multiple places. First and foremost, verify the person’s identity before beginning a search. In order to locate those incarcerated in a federal prison, you can search the database at the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ website. Sex offenders released from prison are tracked on Family Watch Dog’s website. A more intensive search may include searching separate databases of state correctional facilities, police records, and court records.

It is quite possible you may require additional information in your search such as a person’s date of birth and social security number. Searches conducted for employment require the applicant be notified that a criminal background check is being conducted and also give the applicant access to the public information they gathered.

Criminal background searches conducted on your own for free through online searches may prove to be very time consuming and frustrating. However, you may feel that the free public information services are adequate for your needs especially if it satisfies your curiosity or failure to find complete data would not threaten your business, yourself or your family.

On the other hand, if your business, you or your family could be potentially threatened by hiring a particular individual and finding accurate reliable information is imperative, you may not have the time to wade through the massive amount of information available for free online.

It is also very important to realize that free services available online may not have the latest information available to you. The free services will not have analysts or customer service persons to help you with your queries.

There are fee-based on-line criminal background record search companies. The quality of a company’s database and the extent of the detail of the research you want will drive the fee. There are state and nationwide searches available. A typical annual nationwide search fee averages $40.

You should review why you want to conduct a criminal records search. Are you just curious? Are you hiring someone that will handle money? Are you hiring someone that will work with children? Are you bringing on a tenant? Determine the consequences of inaccurate information. Decide whether it is worth the time, effort and risk of not discovering accurate information through a free search. And, ultimately decide if you should pay for a qualified search.

Shawn Background Checks ,

NCIC Criminal Background Checks

February 25th, 2009

NCIC criminal background checks are the only true national background checks that can be done. NCIC stands for the National Crime Information Center and is the name of the  database that federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies use along with other criminal justice agencies.

NCIC criminal background checks assist law enforcement and justice agencies in such tasks as apprehending fugitives, locating missing persons, locating and returning stolen property, as well as in the protection of the law enforcement officers encountering the individuals described in the system.

The data inside the system is kept up to date by the FBI, federal,  state,  local and foreign criminal justice agencies, and authorized courts.

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