In being diligent, a criminal records search is a normal part of the process. In this digitalage, performing any type of search should be much easier now that we have the right technology to do it. However, no matter how much information is stored in the web, nothing beats the manual process of retrieving public records. Often, old-fashioned “gum shoe” techniques are required and researchers find that more often than not, they must rely on less technological means to a do a criminal records search.

The national Criminal Records Look-Up Problem.

Criminal records searches would be much easier to accomplish if there was one single database containing all public records from all state databases. The problem is that there is none. No one single, “nationwide” database of criminal records exists today. In fact, the closest we can ever get to a nationwide database is not even considered as “public.” The FBI database, called the National Criminal Information Center or NCIC, contain records that are classified or confidential and no one, save for those from the criminal justice agencies, can legally access any of the files that are contained within the database.

There are Alternatives

Thus, the only other option that a public records research has is to target local databases. Alot of states keep databases of criminal records search information. Out of 50 U.S. states, 29 have state central repositories of criminal records search data. State databases are good places to start a criminal records search but they shouldn’t be the only source you have. This is because state data-bases mostly deal with criminal records search information about convictions. Minor misdemeanors are not usually included in central repositories as states do not require their law enforcement departments to store.

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Before the Internet era, all free criminal public records could only be accessed manually. There was no such thing as a nationwide database of free criminal public records. Little tidbits of everything were stored in various databases by local communities, parishes, counties, or states. Therefore, obtaining criminal records meant going through all local, parish, county, or state registries. This is of course, time-consuming, expensive, and difficult even for a savvy public records researcher.

Many online companies sell criminal records through the Internet via websites. Their work usually involves a combination of traditional research and new methods. The latter comprises a lot of Internet detective work, which means spending hours sifting through countless online databases. Many of these online databases offer free criminal public records; however, few can be trusted to provide you with accurate data so a researcher must go carefully in this aspect of his job.

In large search companies, Internet research usually only comprises a small part of the job. The bulk of the job involves physically going to courts, public libraries, hospitals, state registries, to get the documents you want. But no matter how small a part online research might play in public records research, it still plays a vital role.

Free criminal records and background checks helps a company make better-informed decisions during the pre-employment screening. The data they provide are indispensable as they are the determinants of a person’s character. In a way, criminal records and background checks are steps that a company can take to protect its own interest. There have been too many cases in the past wherein no background checks whatsoever was made on an individual and so when that individual was hired as an employee and then later on committed a crime while doing his or her job, the company was held liable.

Several states in the U.S. have laws requiring criminal record and background checks during the pre-employment process. States like Florida, are especially particular about criminal records and background checks on certain industries where “care” is provided as a service. Thus, any prospective employee or volunteer of a facility for the elderly, children, and people with disabilities are required by state statute and by federal law to undergo free criminal records and background checks.

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The State of Michigan keeps alot of different archives of information on criminal records. However, a minor problem is that majority of these sources of Michigan criminal records deal mostly with convictions. Criminal records for Michigan State do not necessarily warrant convictions. In fact, not all criminal records for Michigan result in convictions. And for this reason, databases maintained by the Michigan State Government may not be as comprehensive a source as we would like them to be. Therefore, it is advised that when you conduct a criminal records search, you do not use the state repository as your only source of information. There are also various other sources of Michigan criminal records that are rarely tapped into. These are the following:

State Police

As stated earlier, the best choice for you to search for Michigan criminal records is the state repository. It is the Michigan State Police that maintains the official database of criminal history record information. Here you can find an archive of all Michigan criminal records of felonies or misdemeanors of a serious nature. The Michigan criminal records housed in the Michigan State Police database are actually fingerprint-based arrest records. By statute, law enforcement agencies and court clerks are required to create fingerprint cards for each record of arrest that they send to the Michigan State Police. If the Michigan criminal records are not accompanied by fingerprint cards, then they will be included in the repository.

Department of Corrections

The Department of Corrections has a database of criminal records of everyone who has served time in prison. The Michigan criminal records stored here contain many details about the crime and the database even includes pictures of the criminal. The inclusion of photos are good for minimizing cases of mistaken identities wherein someone who is without a record may appear to have one because of names that are similar. The DOC database only contains criminal records of imprisonment and criminals who have been sentenced to prison do not show up here.

County Clerks of Court

Perhaps the bestway to verify whether a Michigan criminal action has been initiated against someone is to check whether there are criminal records of it in the Offices of the County Clerks of Court. Each court case is documented first by the Clerk of Court of the county where the case is to be heard. These documents are based on the data provided during the arrest incident.

Records of Arrests

Michigan criminal records of arrests at the county jail level are excellent sources, too, but they may not be as readily available as the others. There are some private sources that you can get to legally provide you with these.

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