When it comes to processing criminal searches for employment or pre-employment purposes, there is no way to be certain that an applicant/employee is free from any kind of criminal history. Unfortunately, because the FBI’s NCIC Database is not available to the general public, employers are forced to process either a nationwide criminal database search (which is not comprehensive or reliable) or to process live criminal records searches based on names and addresses provided by the applicant on a job application. It is a relatively easy thing for an applicant to omit an address or previously used name which may be associated with a criminal past.
There was an article posted on Fox News last week in which a 76-year old woman was arrested for the 73rd time. Once her fingerprints were run through the system, the police determined that she had been arrested under 36 different names and had given 26 dates of birth. At this point, prosecutors are working to determine her true identity. This article highlights just how easy it can be to hide a criminal past.
