Today, whenever we wake up early and read newspapers, there is hardly any page of that newspaper where heinous crimes are not reported. The criminals have become so smart that they change their identities and commit these crimes. In such a world, it has become extremely important to look out for ourselves as well as our close family and friends. Therefore, before making your life public before any stranger, it is important to make a background check so that one can be sure there is no dark past of crime, and they are safe and secure. Going through arrest records seems to be a really good option to keep ourselves safe.
What is an Arrest Record?
When police take a suspicious individual under custody because of some criminal act, the person is said to be under arrest. The arrest can take place either immediately after the crime has been committed or after the whole investigation has been completed regarding the crime.
An arrest record would be something that is issued by the police after the suspicious individual has been detained. The arrest record is not evidence for crime; rather, it is the court that decides if the individual is guilty or not. An arrest record will generally include the personal details and information of the individual, such as name, charge, date on which report was filed, case number, crime location, photographs, height, weight, social security number, different names used, etc.
Why are Arrest Records used?
Arrest records can be used for many purposes, mainly so as to keep track of the person’s criminal activities so as to ensure that no crime takes place. Arrest records can also be used by people who rent properties, perform background checks, or employ people. Therefore, arrest records are made open to the public so that they are also careful in lending their properties. Making arrest records public helps every citizen to be aware of the possible threats in their neighborhood. Only active or the cases which are pending are not open for the general public.
When is an arrest made?
An arrest is made by the state police officer and can be made under three circumstances which are:
- If the individual committing crime has been caught into action
- If the probability of a specific individual committing a crime is high
- If the arrest warrant is issued by the judge
The above mentioned three situations give the officer to arrest nay suspected individual and to check up on law and order.
How can Arrest Records be used?
Arrest Records can be made to look out for neighbors, family members, friends, potential dates, online buyers and sellers, new relationships, etc.
Arrest Records cannot be used to screen employees, screen tenants, screen professional services, determining eligibility for scholarships, screen domestic workers, etc.
Do Arrest Records include Convictions?
The Arrest record, including convictions, again depends on a variety of factors taking into account the geographical differences. In most of the arrest cases, convictions are mentioned on the arrest records. But it also depends on the following factors:
- The time that the individual has spent in prison, the previous imprisonments, as well as what kind of facility was provided to that person
- If there are any pending charges or fine to be paid
- If there are any pending or upcoming hearings
Online Background Checks – The Basics
If you want to run an arrest record check on someone, it is important that you set some realistic expectations about the information you are hoping to find. Not all the time, when an individual is arrested for a specific crime, the exact information concerning the crime is mentioned in the report.
There is also a possibility that an individual who either pleaded guilty or no-contest to a crime can ask for their records to be expunged or sealed.
Difference between sealing and expungement of arrest records
If the arrest records can be cleared depends upon the crime as well as the rules regarding the expungement, which varies from state to state. Expungement basically refers to the fact that all the records against the individual will be cleared, that is, from the eyes of the law as well as all public government records. Thus, it can be said that the individual starts from a clean slate. The expungement largely depends on the type of crime committed by the individual, for example, if the charges are for assault or trafficking, then expungement is difficult. Sealing an arrest record and expungement of arrest records are two different things. Sealing an arrest record would mean to remove from the public’s eyes merely, but it still exists in front of the law physically. In extreme cases, the sealed record might again be brought up.
Free Government Background Checks
If you seriously want to get accurate information regarding a person’s arrest record or criminal history, then you can get into the lengthier search process using the National Association of Counties.
Other online options:
Since you are interested in looking for someone’s arrest records, you can go for paid websites. These services collect and provide you with publicly-available comprehensive information about anyone for a fee. You can rest assured that the information provided by private services like SpyFly is accurate, as they carry out a thorough research to ensure that you receive legit information.
In the present scenario, it has become really important to be informed of and to be aware of what is going on in the world so that we can prevent ourselves from being the next target.
SpyFly provides consumers affordable, immediate access to public record information. Federal laws prohibit businesses from using SpyFly’s service to make decisions about employment, insurance, consumer credit, tenant screening, or for any other purpose subject to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, 15 USC 1681 et seq.