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Database searches can be a valuable tool in combination with other background check reports, but remember, they are not a true national criminal history report. If your current background check provider claims that their database has ALL counties in the United States or even calls their report a national criminal history report, think again. We will outline below a few facts that prevent this from being possible.
Not all counties are online
There is a great variance in the technology used in county courthouses. Some counties still have ledger books or microfilm for storage of court records. Although electronic records may be available they often require Clerk searches to provide details on the case.
Many courts charge access fees
Budgets have been squeezed at all levels of government, leading administrators to look for additional sources of revenue. Access to court records is now viewed as a revenue stream by many local governments. Court access fees have become the norm through the United States.
State Laws Vary
Federal regulations set the standard but several states have instituted restrictions that are different when it comes to reporting crimes. Other states have restrictions as to what can be released when a database is being created; full information is not made available for this purpose. Some repositories simply won’t release the information to be included in a database…period. As referenced above, to some governments, both state and local, this is a source of revenue based on individual searches that are paid for at the time of the search. A database search doesn’t make them any money so they won’t release information in this manner.
Not all laws are equal
Searching court systems for individuals is very complex; spelling, compound names, middle names / initials, those that utilize a nickname or AKA and missing identifiers are just a few examples. Courthouses may offer some help with this in their programs when utilizing on-site methods but those methods are simply not available with a database search. More importantly, not all laws are the same from courthouse to courthouse. In New Jersey, for example, there is no such thing as a felony. Try putting all this information about cases and laws into a database search, and the results will be inconsistent.
These are just a few ways that you can know that you’re not getting a search of all county courthouses in the country in a simple database search.
So What is The Solution?
At SELECTiON.COM® we know that a combined approach will give you all the information you need to make smart hiring decisions. Our Search America® Background Check is THE standard in national criminal database searches. With over 650 MILLION records, from over 1,100 different sources, Search America® is an unparalleled tool to combine with prime source searches to ensure you have the most complete picture available of your applicant. Not only is our Search America® database the largest in the industry, we also take an extra step to provide the most accurate information possible. Unlike our competitors, our Search America® report undergoes a specialized review/ Quality Assurance process in order to reduce the chance of false positives. Combined with our residence-based criminal county search, and our federal criminal background check and you have a solution that can’t be beat. 
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According to Lexology, on March 14, 2016, the recent amendments to Philadelphia’s Fair Criminal Screening Standards Ordinance (“Ban the Box”), signed by former Mayor Michael Nutter, will officially take effect. The intent of the ordinance is to make sure that employers make hiring and other employment decisions based on relevant work qualifications without improperly considering a person’s criminal record. However, the recent overhaul of increased restrictions are far-reaching, and essentially creates a significant increase in risk of civil liability for employers with criminal background screening policies and procedures.
For more information, read the full article here on the Lexology website.
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The OH50 is a local police softball team, ranked 10th in the East Conference and 19th nationally. The East and West Conferences have roughly 200 plus teams in each. OH50’s sponsor, Selection.com®, was recently named Sponsor of the year out of the entire East Conference. According to PoliceSoftball.com Selection.com® has helped the OH50 become a formidable team in the east. They have helped OH50 attend five travel tournaments and numerous regional tournaments. It is this help that has propelled OH50 in to one of the rising stars on the circuit. For the full story click here.
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In October 2014 Selection.com® announced a citywide program to help reduce crime by promoting pre-screening of potential tenants. One city in particular, agreed to provide their landlords with seed money to use in pre-screening their tenants.
In a recent article by the Middletown Journal News it was reported that earlier this year, to assist local landlords in leasing their properties to quality prospects, the city set aside $5,000 for reduced-cost background checks. Selection.com® has prepared a report for prospective tenants that includes previous addresses, past due accounts, and credit score as well as a criminal check of more than 241 courts in Ohio.
For the full article click here.
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The East Carolina University football game vs. the Tulane Green Wave is sure to be an unforgettable day. The game can be viewed on ESPN, and will take place on Saturday, November 22nd, at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium in Greenville, North Carolina. The game starts at 3:30 p.m., and this week is Military Appreciation Day at the stadium. Prior to the game, during the National Anthem, Team Fastrax™ will be performing a patriotic American Flag skydive along with a very special skydiving game ball delivery. For the full story click here.
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Selection.com works hard for every client to provide full, accurate information while allowing the submittal process to be as simple as possible. We have long accepted the task of identifying and obtaining information necessary to complete this task. However, in balancing this with compliance and efficiency issues, we are making some changes that will require a little more information during the submittal process.
Section 613 of the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act [15 U.S.C. § 1681k] requires Selection.com to notify an applicant if any adverse information is reported to a potential employer if the information is contained in a report such as Search America. In other words, if a Search America Report does not read “No Record Found,” we are required to notify the applicant.
Therefore, an applicant’s email address or physical address will become necessary when a Search America report is requested. We are updating our processes to allow the delivery of the above referenced notification via email to improve efficiency and better control costs. We will utilize a physical address and traditional delivery if an email address is not available.
In conjunction with this, we will also be asking for a current state of residence. Continued refinement to reporting filters makes this necessary. This refinement is an indication of our ongoing dedication to maintaining the supremacy of Search America as the best report of its kind in the industry.
Thank you for your understanding and help as we continue to update procedures to maintain full compliance while providing you with everything you need to make smart hiring decisions.
Thank you for choosing Selection.com.
