Criminal Background Check Tools

Criminal Background Check Tools Explained

The modern era is correctly termed the Information Age. Today, there is a greater need than ever before for all kinds of information, from information about companies and products to consumer services and more. However, while the need for these various types of information has grown by a considerable amount, so, too, has the need for in-depth information about people, themselves. Criminal background check tools have evolved to help make the vast wealth of public records available to those in need of this information. What do criminal background check tools offer you? How can they be of use?

What Criminal Background Check Tools Offer

Have you ever been struck by the amount of information that you don’t know about people with whom you interact on a regular basis? Do you know the history of your son’s soccer coach? Do you know where your daughter’s Girl Scout leader attended school? Apart from this benign information, there is a shadier side to the situation. For instance, do you know if your daughter’s choir director has ever been arrested for molestation or rape? While it might seem farfetched, it is far more common than you would think.

In fact, the incidence of criminals and sex offenders interacting with your children, other family members and even yourself has grown by leaps and bounds. As an example, youth organizations have begun stepping up their efforts to conduct a criminal background check on all employees and volunteers, with the result that numerous criminals have been ferreted out of these organizations, including those convicted of crimes like child molestation and even manslaughter. If criminals can infiltrate these organizations, how much simpler is it to work their way into other areas of your everyday life?

Criminal background check tools enable you to locate these individuals, before they harm your children, your family or your home. Criminal background checks allow you to find this information in an incredibly short time and help ensure that you and yours are not harmed or victimized.

What Criminal Background Check Tools are Available?

Obviously, putting criminal background check tools to use is of paramount importance to you and your family, even your business. However, before you can do this, you’ll need to know where to access these tools and which tools offer benefits. How do you determine which tools are worth your time? Below, you will find several methods of accessing criminal background checks and their various pros and cons.

Local Authorities – The local sheriff’s office has been the traditional place employers turn for criminal background check information. These offices can certainly help ensure that businesses and even consumers have access to the public records and other information they require. However, there are problems with this scenario.

First, it takes considerable amounts of time to drive to the sheriff’s office, wait for the report to be generated and return to the office or home. Therefore, these offices might not be the best option for your needs. In addition, you will have to pay for the sheriff’s office employee to run the check, increasing costs over time spent in the process. Finally, you will find that this method only offers you information about crimes committed in the local area. This includes all cities within your county, but it does not extend to any areas over the county line. Obviously, this is a considerable drawback, as you will not gain access to the comprehensive information that you require.

State Resources – The state archives can be an invaluable help during your quest for criminal background check tools and information. You will find that these archives contain information about crimes committed on a state level, not just on a county level. This means you have access to greater amounts of information than by going through your local authorities. However, there are problems even here.

State criminal background check tools are as limited in scope as many others. While they do provide access to information on a much broader scale, the crimes recorded in the system will not extend to those committed outside the borders of the state. What are you to do if the person you are investigating committed crimes in the next state over? What are you to do if that person actually grew up across the country? In addition to this concern, you will find that the costs of accessing these records is just as inconvenient as through local authorities, and actually include even more charges. While the local sheriff’s office might only be a 30-minute drive, you might have to drive hours to reach the state archives, increasing time spent, as well as fuel expenditure.

Online Criminal Background Check Resources – The Internet has become an immense storehouse for information of all types. This includes public records, used to conduct that criminal background check. You will find that myriad online providers offer you access to criminal background check tools and most of them provide instantaneous results. Obviously, this cuts out the “time spent” factor from the equation. However, what other benefits do online criminal background check providers offer you?

First, they allow you to search through an immense number of criminal records, gathered from all around the nation. This means that you are not limited to local or state records in your search. Second, online criminal background check tools ensure you have access to the largest number of records possible, much more than any state archives can offer you.

Finally, online criminal background check tools provide you with greater value. Of course, you will have to pay to access public records websites, but when you take out the driving and the time required to physically search through records, you will find that these services save you a tremendous amount of money over other options for criminal background check information.

That said, not all online providers of criminal background check resources are created equal. You will have to find a provider with a reputation for quality, honesty and accuracy. Avoid those providers who make outrageous claims.