Hello Everyone,
I have a question regarding local agency checks. When requesting police records, what exactly is looked at? Are just records relating to criminal acts asked for or do incident reports in which nothing happend after are looked at? If I cant be told the answer to this, then can I get an answer as to whether the records look at are on a town level or county level?
Thanks much!
Let me guess, some form of law enforcement response has occurred, possibly multiple times to either your residence, or a residence you were a party too. Said law enforcement spoke to those involved but to the best of your knowledge, no arrests, charges, tickets to appear were recorded? If so, you should have explained that to the BI person. I’ve had a neighbor call the cops because I did not pull my trash can back to the house after 6 PM on pickup day. The police explained it was not a criminal event and were kind enough to tell me of the call. I moved the trash can back and there is no record of this. I would explain even that to the BI person just in case there was an MFR filed stating that.
Not at all. I’m actually wondering as to whether the BI goes around to request criminal records from my local town or does he/she go to the 12 other police departments within a 20 mile radius? Or do they just check local town PD and county sherrif for arrest/criminal. I find it odd that they would go looking through non criminal arrest records.
What exactly would a non criminal arrest be?
I’m asking simply if all police records like non criminal incident reports are collected or will the BI only look for criminal records. Do they go to all police departments within my area or do they just go to town PD or do they go to both Town PD and County Sherrif? I’d like to know about this process since nobody really asked/talks about it. Not hiding anything, just curious.
Thanks!
Would an investigator ask if there was any police activity at any of your previous addresses regardless if you were involved or not?
IMHO, if it appears you are shading the truth or hedging the answer, they will ask the question is a more specific way. This is why I tell people to over report instead of under report. Let eh BI person decide if something requires scoping. Folks trying to technically answer “No” to a question that is a 7 year lookback only because a leap year was brought into the equation is asking for problems later on. If the police were dispatched a few times and no action taken, give the BI person the courtesy of that info.
I agree to inform the BI of that, being as transparent as possible is the key part in all of this. I was just curious as to which agency’s will be approached. I presume it’s just local PD such as town/city PD. Is that correct?
It all depends on the city/state laws. Some states are open record states and a BI could go in and get everything with your name on it - arrests and incident reports. Other states only give only arrests and some states don’t cooperate at all. There are also times that the police agency should have never given us the information due to a state law (juvenile records for example), but they do…maybe it was a new person or someone who didn’t know all the rules. There is no telling if that specific thing you are trying to avoid will be released or not…
What happens with records that were not supposed to be turned over? I’d presume since it’s out of the scope of investigation it cant be used?
They sometimes get reported anyway. I get to read them. If it’s not pertinent, then it’s not to be reported, but not everybody gets that memo.
I find it kinda funny that police departments will give up non criminal incident reports, such as wellness checks etc… as part of a release of recorded for criminal and arrest records.
I assume it is national, state, county, city, town, and Mall security, possibly neighborhood watch. But not your neighbor. Kidding… I honestly would assume most agencies are interconnected nowadays and even small communities can report into national databases. Back in the day…circa 1985, dinosaurs roamed the earth…logic of the day was if you got a ticket in a state you no would never enter again you didn’t even need pay the fine. A bench warrant may be sent out throughout that state…but it rarely crossed state lines. Post 1985 as computing and reporting both improved dramatically…not so much. I would expect just about any state to be able to request other info and any national agency could get access as well.
You need to reread the first paragraph of the authorization to release information you sign. Also, paragraph five, and six. The release allows a record provider that is not a lending institution or a medical provider to release any information we ask.
If anyone requires their own release, we will have you sign their release.