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National Criminal Data Base
National Criminal Data Base
A list of frequently asked questions about the National Criminal Databases. In the background screening process, national criminal databases, also known as multi-jurisdictional databases, can be an important tool in identifying potentially inappropriate applicants by utilizing a larger pool of information than is typically available from traditional criminal background checks. A large number of people, however, are cautious of these databases for a variety of reasons. The term "national criminal database," or "multijurisdictional criminal database," is often misunderstood by those who are unfamiliar with the concept. Others aren't sure that they require the services of a professional. Even if there are a few people out there who would like to use one, they may not be able to distinguish between what makes a national criminal database good and what makes it merely tolerable without assistance. The truth is that a reputable and well-maintained national criminal database can provide a significantly more complete picture of an individual's criminal past than a standard search alone.
What is The National Criminal Database?
What is a national criminal database?' you might wonder.
It is necessary to address the first issue, which is the definition of a national criminal database, right now. Despite the fact that it appears to be self-explanatory, there is more to it than meets the eye. National criminal databases compile information from a variety of jurisdictional sources, including county courthouses, state court support agencies, state and local correctional departments, other government agencies, state sex offender registries, and federal security agencies, among other sources. The goal of this type of database is to obtain as complete a picture of an applicant's criminal history as feasible. Governments at all levels, as well as commercial companies, are responsible for the creation and operation of national criminal databases.
The National Crime Information Center (NCIC), which is run by the FBI, is an example of how the federal government maintains a national criminal database of information. This database assists police enforcement and criminal justice agencies with activities such as tracking down fugitives, tracking down missing persons, and tracking down stolen items, among others. But this database is only available to appropriate government entities at the federal, state, and municipal levels, and it is not accessible to the majority of private companies in the United States.
Another example of a nationwide criminal database that is administered by the federal government is the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). In this database, which is used specifically to provide information on potential buyers of firearms, information is checked to ensure that the buyer has not previously been convicted of a crime punishable by at least one year in prison, has never been involuntarily committed to a mental institution, has never been dishonorably discharged from the United States Armed Forces, and so on.
The NICS and the NCIC are not accessible to the general public, as is the case with the majority of federally administered criminal databases. It is at this point that private companies enter the picture. Private companies can establish national criminal databases for use in the background reports they provide to their clients, which they can then sell to other companies. As previously said, sources can include state sex offender registries, Interpol's Most Wanted, county court records, and a plethora of other information. When it comes to the sources available to them, or simply the amount of sources available, no two private enterprises are exactly comparable. The process and timetable for putting the source information into each company's database are also vary. Since there is less lag time between a source's loading and the appearance of entries in the database, the more valuable your national search becomes. The faster the sources load, the better. Furthermore, and rationally, you want the database with the greatest number of sources because it indicates that your search is broader and more likely to uncover the type of information that this search is intended to uncover.
