Background Check Website: Just type in a name

[ArmorOfGod]

http://www.criminalsearches.com/

I don't know if it is any good, but have been playing with it tonight.
What does everyone here think of it?

 

[Andrew Green]

I think that is a very scary thing, the right to privacy should be important. Once someone has served their time or paid their fine they are free, and their record is private, only to be shown to others with their permission.

They have their little disclaimer at the bottom, but still, this sort of site should not exist IMO.

 

[terryl965]

Nice site thanks

 

[CuongNhuka]

I just typed in my name, and it says I have no record. In fact, I do have a record. Therefor, this site fails.

 

[jks9199]

I checked for a few that I'm familiar with... Didn't find 'em.

Regarding availability... A criminal record is generally a public record. Don't want one, don't commit crimes. But not every state makes it easy for the public to access them. You may have to go court by court and research the name -- while others will provide a statewide listing at any police agency. I'm guessing this information is in the public domain, if you know where to look.

 

[jks9199]

I just typed in my name, and it says I have no record. In fact, I do have a record. Therefor, this site fails.

No -- You have a juvenile record. As a general rule, juvenile records are not publicly available. And you kind of want it that way... or would you like the stupid thing you did in the last few years to follow you for the rest of your life? I'm pretty confident it wasn't a felony or even a serious misdemeanor...

 

[CuongNhuka]

I'm pretty confident it wasn't a felony or even a serious misdemeanor...

Haha, if I was 3 years older, it would have been a felony!

That aside, it is still available. If this site scares people, then the site that shows you every record is the base of the 'evil iceberg'

 

[arnisador]

I read about it in the NY Times this week...lots of info. available. Good news, bad news I suppose...

 

[mrhnau]

Happen to have a common name? I'd hate to have someone query my name and get the results for someone else. I do know of one person with my first and last name that was convicted of some serious crimes... Would be bad to have a potential employer or potential girlfriend find that...

 

[CuongNhuka]

Happen to have a common name? I'd hate to have someone query my name and get the results for someone else. I do know of one person with my first and last name that was convicted of some serious crimes... Would be bad to have a potential employer or potential girlfriend find that...

When I checked my name, it allowed me to go as far as middle name, and city. Oh, and zip. Got all that in common?

 

[mrhnau]

When I checked my name, it allowed me to go as far as middle name, and city. Oh, and zip. Got all that in common?

"so, you want to date my daughter? Fill out this form, with full name, zip code, city, and SSN if you don't mind"

So, the Zip code... is this where the crime was committed? or where they live? what if they moved? or the crime was in another state? No one I know of really uses my middle name. so, you are left with first, last and state. I know of two versions of me in my state. I have a fairly uncommon name. Joe Smith? John Carpenter? Tim Davis anyone?

 

[CuongNhuka]

"so, you want to date my daughter? Fill out this form, with full name, zip code, city, and SSN if you don't mind"

Soc is unneeded on this site. But, all you really need is first, middle, and last. The sight also lists birthday, so if you're looking up John Doe, and there's one with a speeding ticket, and one who is murder, you can figure out which one you have because of the kids age.

So, the Zip code... is this where the crime was committed? or where they live? what if they moved? or the crime was in another state?

Why do you think I know? I was just telling you from what I saw on the site. You could have skimmed this same info just as easily.

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

I just ran a publicly known sex offender through the site and it came back with zero hits. I do not think this site works.

 

[jkembry]

I think that is a very scary thing, the right to privacy should be important. Once someone has served their time or paid their fine they are free, and their record is private, only to be shown to others with their permission.

They have their little disclaimer at the bottom, but still, this sort of site should not exist IMO.

I have to agree with this...with some rare exceptions that are already taken care of on sexual preditors website hosted by governments.

 

[Andrew Green]

I have to agree with this...with some rare exceptions that are already taken care of on sexual preditors website hosted by governments.

Even those are sometimes bad. Where a serious crime has been committed, ok. But when someone gets labeled a sex offender for life because they where in a state where the age of consent was 18, and they where 18, but dating someone that was 17, or the few cases that made the news where 16/17 year olds took nude pictures of themself. Silly crap like that takes away a lot of credibility from such lists.

 

[shesulsa]

I just ran a publicly known sex offender through the site and it came back with zero hits. I do not think this site works.

I found only one offense listed for someone I know with a lengthy record.

It's not reliable and - I think - a marketing tool.

 

[Kacey]

The site provides just enough information to hang someone - and not enough to differentiate between levels of infractions. In addition, I have an uncommon name - and yet, there is another Karen Cohn, in my city, in my profession - imagine if my name were Joe Smith?

 

[Andrew Green]

I found only one offense listed for someone I know with a lengthy record.

It's not reliable and - I think - a marketing tool.

I'd be more worried about finding offences on people that didn't have a record.

But really, what are they doing? What is the purpose of this site? Seems like the only result is that it could cost people jobs or otherwise negatively effect their lives for past mistakes, and as has been shown, the site is not reliable.

 

[shesulsa]

I don't disagree. It was a fun tool there for a few names, but morbid curiosity aside it's plain old wrong to make information available like this, especially if it's wrong or incomplete. Some people are wrongly convicted.

I wonder whyt his site is even up? Doesn't it violate HPPA?

 

[jkembry]

Even those are sometimes bad. Where a serious crime has been committed, ok. But when someone gets labeled a sex offender for life because they where in a state where the age of consent was 18, and they where 18, but dating someone that was 17, or the few cases that made the news where 16/17 year olds took nude pictures of themself. Silly crap like that takes away a lot of credibility from such lists.

This is true. Guess it all comes down to the common sense. Brings up another question why is it called common sense when it isn't so common?