Comments on: Our favorite Web sites: Running your own criminal-background check http://www.hrmorning.com/our-favorite-web-sites-running-your-own-criminal-background-check/ Your daily dose of HR Thu, 18 Mar 2010 13:43:13 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: Les Rosen -Employment Screening Resources http://www.hrmorning.com/our-favorite-web-sites-running-your-own-criminal-background-check/comment-page-1/#comment-19077 Les Rosen -Employment Screening Resources Thu, 23 Jul 2009 07:39:42 +0000 http://www.hrmorning.com/?p=286#comment-19077 There are commercially assembled criminal databases that can be helpful to employers when used by a screening firm since it may lead to further courts to search. However, any suggestion that these databases all by themselves are real background checks is just not factual. These databases are far from complete, and accurate. They can falsely label someone a criminal who is not, and can falsely clear someone who in fact has a serious criminal record. They may contain records that are not legally useable or have been set aside by a court. Not all jurisdictions are included, and even included jurisdictions do not always update records or provide date of birth for identification. For the real story, see an article on the ESR website called, http://www.esrcheck.com/articles/Criminal_Databases.php There are commercially assembled criminal databases that can be helpful to employers when used by a screening firm since it may lead to further courts to search. However, any suggestion that these databases all by themselves are real background checks is just not factual. These databases are far from complete, and accurate. They can falsely label someone a criminal who is not, and can falsely clear someone who in fact has a serious criminal record. They may contain records that are not legally useable or have been set aside by a court. Not all jurisdictions are included, and even included jurisdictions do not always update records or provide date of birth for identification.

For the real story, see an article on the ESR website called, http://www.esrcheck.com/articles/Criminal_Databases.php

]]> By: A D Buck http://www.hrmorning.com/our-favorite-web-sites-running-your-own-criminal-background-check/comment-page-1/#comment-1048 A D Buck Mon, 11 Aug 2008 18:42:54 +0000 http://www.hrmorning.com/?p=286#comment-1048 I am a Private Investigator in Florida who speciaizes in pre-employment background checks and I too tried the criminalsearches.com web site only to find a number of errors and omissions for known criminals. I ran 5 names through the site only to find that criminalsearches.com had wrong and/or no information on all five of them. These were convicted felons by the way. The bottom line is that people who use that site are getting what they pay for (very little) and that there is no subsitute for conducting a thorough check using multiple fee-based web sites (e.g. Lexis, IRB, Merlin, Choicepoint, etc.) AND a trip to the court house for a manual records check if necessary. Best A D Buck I am a Private Investigator in Florida who speciaizes in pre-employment background checks and I too tried the criminalsearches.com web site only to find a number of errors and omissions for known criminals. I ran 5 names through the site only to find that criminalsearches.com had wrong and/or no information on all five of them. These were convicted felons by the way.

The bottom line is that people who use that site are getting what they pay for (very little) and that there is no subsitute for conducting a thorough check using multiple fee-based web sites (e.g. Lexis, IRB, Merlin, Choicepoint, etc.) AND a trip to the court house for a manual records check if necessary.

Best

A D Buck

]]> By: jamesgraham http://www.hrmorning.com/our-favorite-web-sites-running-your-own-criminal-background-check/comment-page-1/#comment-1001 jamesgraham Fri, 08 Aug 2008 17:03:49 +0000 http://www.hrmorning.com/?p=286#comment-1001 one need to know how there system records areqa set up, before trying to use a online system. in LA each parish has its own records and only 3 or 4 have them online and they ony have a 3 year list in them. so we still have to go tothe court house to get a real check done. now in TX they have a great only system. so before you get in to it look as the state system and go form there. done waste money on it if you are not goingto get the real info. one need to know how there system records areqa set up, before trying to use a online system. in LA each parish has its own records and only 3 or 4 have them online and they ony have a 3 year list in them. so we still have to go tothe court house to get a real check done. now in TX they have a great only system. so before you get in to it look as the state system and go form there. done waste money on it if you are not goingto get the real info.

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