Checking someone's criminal record

[amtheman]

hi all am looking for a free site were i can look up ppls crime record with out paying any site fees any1 no any for me 2 look up thanks

[Stuart]

:welcome: to the forum. While I don't know for sure, I'd be very surprised if you could find such a site as any such site would be in violation of the Data Protection Act (amongst other laws). Your best option would probably be a CRB check ( http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Startinganewjob/DG_195809 ), but these are not free.

However, as this post was off topic in the thread it was in, I have moved it to a new thread.

[Kymmy]

The only time you can do a CRB check for free is if the position which needs a CRB is voluntary.. Even then the person involved has to initiate the CRB (fill in the forms with proof of who they are) the details then get passed onto the prospective employer/organisor..

You can not though do a CRB check for someone else or for a reason other than what is needed by law.. (i.e.. working with children, security clearance, working with vunerable people)

[TheDaddy]

The only time you can do a CRB check for free is if the position which needs a CRB is voluntary.. Even then the person involved has to initiate the CRB (fill in the forms with proof of who they are) the details then get passed onto the prospective employer/organisor..

You can not though do a CRB check for someone else or for a reason other than what is needed by law.. (i.e.. working with children, security clearance, working with vunerable people)

You can do them, abuse of the CRB system is some thing that's getting out of hand, several members here over the years have reported abuse and 1 I recall even a lost job because of it.

http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/22/45463-free-criminal-record-check-page-2.html#post34571693

[Dave9946]

I'm thinking about this issue to but in a slightly different way if I can add to it.

My point and question has a validity on a personal level. In that we want to know how serious threats made against us might be in the absence of the police refusing to say 1 way or another if the person in question has and does firebomb homes, stabbed people and been in trouble a lot of times over the years for numerous violent crimes and damage to property etc thats only hearsay otherwise?.

In such cases for peace of mind as much as anything else is it not possable to check up on people via public records?. If not what a person has been sentenced for but charged with as much as anything else?. As courts websites and local papers etc often post on cases on people that have been charged with offences, up in court for and sentanced for so I fail to see anything thats already been made public is not available to view on any public records website or upon request?.

[Derek]

My point and question has a validity on a personal level. In that we want to know how serious threats made against us might be in the absence of the police refusing to say 1 way or another if the person in question has and does firebomb homes, stabbed people and been in trouble a lot of times over the years for numerous violent crimes and damage to property etc thats only hearsay otherwise?.

The Police have an obligation to warn people if they are at risk from someone so if they think the threat is credible they have to act on it.

In such cases for peace of mind as much as anything else is it not possable to check up on people via public records?. If not what a person has been sentenced for but charged with as much as anything else?. As courts websites and local papers etc often post on cases on people that have been charged with offences, up in court for and sentanced for so I fail to see anything thats already been made public is not available to view on any public records website or upon request?.

I've always thought it would be a good idea for court records to be available to see what the results of cases are for the general public. Up until recently it was a pain even for the Police to find out what happened to cases.

If the public could see how many cases are dropped or plea bargained away they would be shocked.

[Osem]

hi all am looking for a free site were i can look up ppls crime record with out paying any site fees any1 no any for me 2 look up thanks

I'd need to check your criminal record before I can help you.... :D

[Dave9946]

[QUOTE=Derek;35249019]The Police have an obligation to warn people if they are at risk from someone so if they think the threat is credible they have to act on it.
/QUOTE]

But what if they fail to warn simply because it would cause more trouble to victims if they did where there is also not enough resorces if they did warn people of a serious risk to there safety?. We often hear of victims of crime who suffer due to no resorses or faliure of the police to act on very real risk to the public.

This is surely where a limited public information database on court apperances would be usefull and warranted?

[Russ]

It never fails to amaze me when people think there would be such a site to freely give out peoples' criminal records.

Absolute madness.

[Chris]

hi all am looking for a free site were i can look up ppls crime record with out paying any site fees any1 no any for me 2 look up thanks

Highly unlikely - not legally, anyway.

If you are entitled to that information, then you already have access to the means to get it. The fact you're even asking probably means you're not entitled to it.

[Dave9946]

It never fails to amaze me when people think there would be such a site to freely give out peoples' criminal records.

Absolute madness.

To be honest it's not so much being able to freely view a persons criminal record thats the issue for me (thou I cant speak for the op) but at least able to view records on what a person has been arrested or charged for (as lets face it how often does a person ever get found guilty of crimes they have commited due to a technical issue etc these days, no an arrest or charge record is more acurate than a sentanced record if you ask me). That in itself is not quite a criminal record but what a person has been accused on a legal level of having done.

As previously said local papers and courts publish such details freely so it's hardly a confidential issue but information thats already been made public anyways. So upto the point where a person has been sentanced or charges dropped then thats all public information anyways so that does not sound unreasonable for that information to be kept in a single place or resorce and made available to the public or upon request of a very valid reason?.

[TheDaddy]

To be honest it's not so much being able to freely view a persons criminal record thats the issue for me (thou I cant speak for the op) but at least able to view records on what a person has been arrested or charged for (as lets face it how often does a person ever get found guilty of crimes they have commited due to a technical issue etc these days, no an arrest or charge record is more acurate than a sentanced record if you ask me). That in itself is not quite a criminal record but what a person has been accused on a legal level of having done.

As previously said local papers and courts publish such details freely so it's hardly a confidential issue but information thats already been made public anyways. So upto the point where a person has been sentanced or charges dropped then thats all public information anyways so that does not sound unreasonable for that information to be kept in a single place or resorce and made available to the public or upon request of a very valid reason?.

Actually it does sound unreasonable to me, we either want to try and rehabilitate people or we don't. Once some ones debt to society is paid that should be the end of it under the current system unless they are working with the vulnerable and I think those abusing the system should be punished, what happened to Nidge in the thread I linked to is a joke and sadly some thing that's becoming more and more common.

[MovedGoalPosts]

In this country we have an established prinnciple of innocent until found guilty. We already have problems with trial by media. There is no way that a website should be promoting searches of those who are not yet tried. Indeed I'm quite sure that our much hated Human Rights Act would have something to say about that. I even have to question whether the HRA, right's to privacy and such like, would even be happy to allow a website to show details of those who are convicted.

[Dave9946]

Ok fair enough I can see, understand and even respect the other opinions. But the fact remains that a lot if not all crimes from the point of arrest, taken to court or even sentenced are often reported in the press or on a courts website anyways.

And I can see there would be clear potential for abuse of such a resorce if totally public for anyone to view so from that point of view I'd retract some of what I said.

How about a system that would be available to the police and freely available to the police. Yes I know there already is of sorts but prehaps a better system that includes what they are arrested for, changed with and goto court for alongside what they have served time for?. As lets face it what a person has ever been setenced for can often be just a fraction of comitted crimes as pleas and loopholes more often see the guilty walk free.

Then upon good reason a person can apply to get confirmation or ask via the police if there is a potential risk for whatever reason from whatever person that may pose that risk if for the reason it's being asked if that risk is justified and what level of risk that is. If that makes any sence to anyone?.

[TheDaddy]

There's an e petition demanding their abolition/ reform and Ken Clarks quite keen but considering the amount of cash this quango brings in I doubt *cough* radical reform will happen anytime soon.

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/18576

[MalteseFalcon]

With only 15 signatures I doubt it will get anywhere at all.

Personally, having been stung by a CRB check recently, would love to see them abolished.

[tweetiepooh]

There are good reasons why we need CRB or similar. There are jobs that are exempt from masking "spent convictions" including (some) for Virgin Media. And certainly there are offences that may affect a persons ability to fill some positions.

Now sometimes the rules can be too protective and don't take into account that people can change. A full CRB disclosure should give the requestor sufficient information to make an informed decision. The problem comes if that person (or organisation) is so risk averse that any hint of anything on the check would make them reject the applicant.

Also the masses don't really look to carefully at details hence paediatricians getting branded as paedophiles. Imagine what would happen if anyone could check on anyone (for free)? The server would be swamped with trivial requests and innocent people could get harmed.

[jempalmer]

The really stupid part regarding CRB checks is that you have to go through the same procedure time and again for each new employer. Surely a recent check should suffice.

[Anonymouse]

I once saw a job advert in which the employer was asking about spent convictions. What the hell?! Employers have no right, none, to ask about spent convictions. The offender is considered to have paid the debt to society once the conviction's spent - which, correct me if I'm wrong, is the whole point of having this system of convictions - and there's an end to it!

[TheDaddy]

I once saw a job advert in which the employer was asking about spent convictions. What the hell?! Employers have no right, none, to ask about spent convictions. The offender is considered to have paid the debt to society once the conviction's spent - which, correct me if I'm wrong, is the whole point of having this system of convictions - and there's an end to it!


Spent convictions show up on standard disclosure and just about anyone that asks and more importantly pays can get one on behalf of someone else.

[rogerdraig]

There are good reasons why we need CRB or similar. There are jobs that are exempt from masking "spent convictions" including (some) for Virgin Media. And certainly there are offences that may affect a persons ability to fill some positions.

Now sometimes the rules can be too protective and don't take into account that people can change. A full CRB disclosure should give the requestor sufficient information to make an informed decision. The problem comes if that person (or organisation) is so risk averse that any hint of anything on the check would make them reject the applicant.

Also the masses don't really look to carefully at details hence paediatricians getting branded as paedophiles. Imagine what would happen if anyone could check on anyone (for free)? The server would be swamped with trivial requests and innocent people could get harmed.

i would love to see why anyone working for a cable/tv company can or would need a enhanced CRB or how it could be legally obtained with out severely bending or breaking the rules about who they should be done on!

as i cant see except in an absolute emergency ( set top boxes exploding for example ) that any employee would or should be alone with a child or vulnerable adult

---------- Post added at 19:18 ---------- Previous post was at 19:13 ----------

hi all am looking for a free site were i can look up ppls crime record with out paying any site fees any1 no any for me 2 look up thanks

try newspaper searches if they are convicted of something serious local papers would have picked it up but anything not recorded is unlikely to be easily available to you