Criminal
Background Checks
When it comes to criminal record searches…
The quality of information you get…depends on where it came from
It may be time to take a closer look at what you’re getting when you ask for
a criminal record search. Your expectation is to obtain information on your
applicant quickly, right? And, obviously you need a thorough check, going
back as far as possible, and including everything up to the present day. The
bottom line is important, too, so you need to keep the cost down. So, isn’t
there a national database that provides this information?
For employment purposes, there are many ways to obtain an applicant's
history. Information Resources has been a leader in the employment
background screening business since 1988 and for several years we advised
our clients against using so-called national database criminal searches.
This was because a lot of "overnight" background companies were using very
unreliable commercial databases and they did not have the experience or the
ability to provide the service their client's needed. They simply provided a
false sense of security to the business owners who trusted them and
disappeared when the house of cards came tumbling down. At Information
Resources we made sure we could provide all our clients
the best possible service and can now confidently offer the best of both
worlds.
County level searches
County courts provide information on state crimes committed within the
county over which they have jurisdiction. The Freedom Of Public Information
Act requires disclosure to the public of such information. Included in
county searches are felony and misdemeanor cases, both active (open) and
inactive (closed). The best way to utilize this approach is to check all
counties where an individual lived as well as where they worked. This
usually means sending data retrievers into the courthouses, where they can
access such information. Although more tedious than other approaches, this
way of searching for criminal records is considered best practice in the
industry, because the information is more comprehensive and current than
information retrieved through other means. We call this service
Direct Source.
Data Express
We have developed a new service for those of our clients who want the
quickest possible results. Databases have evolved to the point that they are
much more reliable than they were in the past, and, after fully evaluating
and testing them we can recommend their use. Please see
Data Express for more information.
Federal Crimes
There is a source of information on individuals incarcerated in Federal
Prison, which is entirely separate from county or state information, since
these cases do not fall within the authority of states or counties. Federal
courts disclose information about Federal convictions for both felony and
misdemeanor cases. The bottom line is that companies are concerned about
everything from wasting money hiring the wrong person for the job, to
negligent hiring lawsuits. So, companies of every size, in literally every
industry, perform due diligence prior to extending an offer for employment.
The method used matters, because they want to find out if any criminal
convictions exist on their applicants. Information Resources continues to
follow best practices in the background check industry: That is, checking
county-by-county, primarily through the courts. And we recommend the search
be conducted where the applicant lived or worked, going back seven years.
Although some clients think that misdemeanor convictions are unimportant,
they may not realize that felony charges are sometimes plead down to
misdemeanors – a major red flag. So, the next time someone comes knocking on
your door with unbelievably low pricing on criminal record searches, ask how
they perform searches. And, while you’re at it, find out about their “hit”
ratio. That is: how many convictions are found relative to the number of
searches conducted. Although the numbers can vary according to region and
industry, Information Resources continues to find that about 10% of
applicants have a criminal past. We encourage you to call us with your
questions. As always, we go the extra mile so that we can assure you that:
“We’ll Be Sure You Know Who You Hire.”
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