Police Department Records

Police Department Records

Police department records will contain sensitive information about people that have been arrested, had a warrant out for their arrest, or any other incident involving law enforcement. Due to certain laws that vary state to state, a majority of these police department records must be released to the public if requested.

That means any of your information in a police department’s database is at risk of being viewed by just about anyone. In order to do so, they would have to know which police department made the arrest because it’ll only show up in that county or state’s database. Because of this, many people avoid searching for someone’s police department records.

With today’s technology, this information is much easier to obtain thanks to websites like ours linking users to public police department records reports. These can be found with just the first and last name of the person, making your search for police department records quicker, less stressful, and without the confrontation with law enforcement.

You can use police department records to perform a public background check on anyone you wish to learn more about -- including family members, neighbors, friends, social media encounters, or online dating matches. This can help give you the confidence when meeting new people and allow you to unlock more details about your family’s history.

Will Police Department Records Show Up In a Background Check?

Although it will depend on the type of background check requested, most background checks won’t show police department records. A majority of police department records contain arrest history and warrant history, but they won’t display any convictions or outcomes of the arrests.

Most people running a legal background check, whether it be a criminal, employment, credit, or any other type of background check, are more concerned with convictions rather than arrests. Many arrests don’t lead to a conviction and don’t always indicate wrong-doing.

The conviction normally happens in court, so a majority of background checks will use information and documents from those databases -- not necessarily police departments.

What Exactly Can the Public See?

When your friends and family search for your public record, it will show both arrests and convictions in court. This can be anything from petty offenses to major crimes. Since a public record pulls information from thousands of databases, the public will have access to much more than just police department records.

Not only will they see your name, the charge or offense, and the source of the information, but it will give a mugshot and information about the punishment they received. Most crimes will either lead to a felony, misdemeanor, or infraction.

Misdemeanor vs. Felony

Many people wonder which crimes are considered a felony, which are considered a misdemeanor, and which ones are an infraction. It’s a difficult question to answer because laws will vary in different states across the country. What’s a felony in one state might only be a misdemeanor in another.

To combat any confusion, the different classifications are categorized by the severity of the punishment -- rather than the crime committed. For example, a felony can be broken down into 5 classes (Class A - Class E). Class A felonies can receive a max punishment of death penalty or life in prison. On the other hand, a Class E felony can only receive a max punishment of 1-5 years in prison.

On the other hand, misdemeanors can be broken down into three different classes (Class A - Class C). A Class A misdemeanor will have a max penalty of 6 months to 1 year in prison, while a Class C could result in anywhere from 5 days to 30 days in prison.

An infraction, which is the least-serious classification of crimes, can result in up to 5 days in prison.

Public Records Contain Even More About You

Police department records will most definitely show you someone’s arrest and criminal record -- unless that information has been sealed by the government -- but that’s only scratching the surface of what will be packed into your report. You actually might be a little paranoid about what can be included.

In addition to personal information about you like your full name, any known aliases you go by, date of birth, and birth location, a public record can display contact information including your phone number, email address, social media profiles, and online dating accounts.

It can show court case information that’s not always related to police department records. If you’ve had a lien placed on your property, filed for bankruptcy, been evicted from your home, or had your home put up for foreclosure, it can all be displayed in your public record. Even if you own a home or a business, it can give a list of your full addresses and property values.

It can be used to help put together a family tree, as well. A public record will display any possible family members associated with the name entered. In fact, it will show possible neighbors, business partners, associates, and spouses.

If it seems like any information about yourself is at risk of being viewed by anyone, then you’ve got the right idea. Some of the more sensitive information will be sealed, but there’s a lot that the government can’t seal.

How to Find Police Department Records

After all of this police department records talk, you’re probably quite eager to conduct a search on yourself. Don’t worry, that’s understandable. The good news is you don’t have to stress, the process is very easy and can be done on your computer at home -- or even your cellular phone.

If you have the person’s first and last name handy, you’re halfway there. Simply enter the name in the search engine below and click the ‘Search’ button. You’ll be directed to a list of possible matches containing people with the same or similar name. Practice due diligence in finding the right person before making any swift accusations.

Once you’re confident you have the right person, you can open their report and view all the records that are provided. We hope you find whatever you’re looking for!