Saving His Shoes and His Company

A distant cousin of mine has recently opened a small advertising company in Dallas. Some small companies have already hired his company’s services to make some print ads for their products. Unfortunately, he had to turn down some clients because he is severely understaffed.

Although James has received numerous applications, he was quite apprehensive in hiring any of them. From what I’ve heard from our other relatives, James is quite distrustful of strangers. His lone ad writer is his wife, while his secretary is also a relative of ours.

He called me up last Friday to ask if the online criminal records search services can produce detailed results. Of course, my “yes” came instantly. He was planning on going to the courthouses to personally check if the applicants that he is considering do not have a criminal past. However, he realized that this was not feasible, considering that many of the applicants live in different counties.

I’m not sure if I was able to persuade him to try the online search services. I hope that I was able to. Otherwise, he’ll end up losing clients.

Have They Called Already?

An officemate of mine who went to New Hampshire a few days ago to visit his parents told me that the airport was almost filled to the brim with passengers who are also rushing to go home for Thanksgiving.

A good number of passengers were students. I guess many are already leaving home to study in big colleges and universities.

Nobody can be too far from home nowadays. The Internet has effectively shortened every highway and sea lane. Parents can instantly talk to their children via phone or PC.

There are some children though, who fail to call their parents up after leaving home for college. Some usually hide under the pretense of being busy in school in order to avoid calling or going back home. I don’t why they do it. Maybe they’re really busy studying, or maybe they got into trouble and are just too embarrassed to ask for help.

I guess some parents will be relying on criminal records instead of phone directories to contact or locate their prodigal child.

Legal vs. Moral

I’ve just read a news article about a former high school teacher who had sexual relations with his female students. The accused insists that he did nothing wrong or that his acts were not criminal at that time since he had the consent of his students.

The applicable laws at the time of the commission of the complained acts did not prohibit teachers from having sex with their students even if they are still below 18 years of age. It would also seem that the community did not see the acts as reprehensible at that time.

A law was subsequently passed which made such deeds illegal.

It’s quite shocking that such acts were allowed or tolerated 30 years ago. Schools should conduct extensive background and criminal records searches on every teacher in their employ.

The accused may not have any legal obligation to avoid having any sexual relations with his students back then, but he certainly had a moral obligation not to take advantage of their vulnerable disposition.

The Bodyguard

What does it take for one to be a good bodyguard? If ever I apply for such a job, should I spend every waking hour on the gym to armor my body with extra strong muscles?

The Vatican doesn’t seem to give too much premium on muscles. I’ve seen a documentary on their Swiss guards, and they’re anything but intimidating. President Bush’s secret service agents also seem to lack the muscles that could ward off any intruder. I guess that job is not solely about being able to bully off unwanted people.

Night clubs do seem to require their security personnel to have a heavy built. You might even say that murder is written all over their body if they have tattoos on them. But, then again, looks can be deceiving.

What every bodyguard should have though, is a good character. You can’t expect a person to protect you if he has a record of harming people for no justifiable reasons. For those who want to employ the services of a bodyguard, make sure that you conduct a criminal records search on the applicants first before entrusting your life to them.

Checking Hollywood’s A-List

Have you ever wondered what your favorite stars did before they graced the TV screens? I’m sure you’ve read or watched many exposes that revealed the unglamorous lives that many glamour kings and queens of today had before they wore make ups and lip glosses.

There’s nothing embarrassing about that. I wouldn’t jump stars if the one I’m presently rooting for happened to be a member of a McDonald’s crew a few years ago.

There are stars that have a very shady past, though. I don’t want to name names, but you would be surprised when you see the angelic or seemingly innocent faces that would appear on your screen when you try to conduct a criminal records search on the persons that fill up Hollywood’s A-list.

The lives of famous actors and actresses are basically open books that everyone could read, and sometimes tear. The ability to pry into the lives or past of other persons has its own pros and cons. If you’re planning to snoop deeper into the life of somebody, just make sure that you do it in a manner that is least intrusive.

Networking Against Crime

I’ve just read the news that the United States and Canada will allow their respective law enforcement agencies to freely access each other’s forensic data.

If you’re a fan of the hit TV show CSI, then you basically have an idea as to how much this deal means to investigators. I’ve seen many episodes where investigations are unduly hampered because pieces of evidence are in the custody of different law enforcement groups. By the time they’re through with all the bureaucratic mess that comes with the retrieval of evidence, that object would already be meaningless since the perpetrator of the crime has already been able to cover his tracks.

I hope that this pact will spark the creation of similar ones (but with larger coverage). If law enforcement agencies around the world will share their criminal records with each other, then the apprehension of suspects or criminals would be expedited. When that time comes, offenders will definitely realize that crime really does not pay.

Is He Naughty Or Nice?

The most wonderful time of the year is just around the corner, and Santa look-a-likes are already roaming around downtown establishments for possible seasonal employment.

While some of them would most likely be tasked to carry banners or signboards, many will be asked to entertain and look after kids while their parents go around the store for gifts.

These business establishments should seriously check criminal records and other databases for possible past offenses that their Santa Clauses might have committed. Stores should treat their Santas like elves or children, scrutinizing them if they have been naughty or nice.

I don’t want to start a scare among parents and gift shop proprietors, but one can really never be too careful nowadays. Running a criminal records search on persons is not difficult. There’s definitely no excuse for skipping this precautionary measure.

Whipping Your Whims

People are always asking me when they should consider a criminal record search on somebody. I always say, “it depends”. Indeed, each situation calls for a different course of action.

However, it occurred to me one time that one could actually run a criminal record search on anybody for no reason at all. The process is not that intrusive, so I see no reason why they can’t ask somebody to check on a person for possible past and present criminal offenses.

It’s a waste of time and money, I know. However, it’s not my money, and every act shouldn’t always have a reason or purpose. My position is that as long as it won’t cause any harm or inconvenience to the person being investigated, there is no reason why people should be prohibited from going through it.

You may want to check the criminal records of your favorite basketball star or soap opera to prove or disprove the rumors about them. You may also conduct a background check on a prominent person in your area to see if he’s living his life within the bounds of the law. The reasons could be endless. But, as I’ve said before, every act shouldn’t always have a reason.

Cut the Gossip

I don’t like gossip. Listening to them is just a waste of time. It’s very dangerous to believe or consider something that has no basis. I always make it a point to verify everything first before coming up with a conclusion.

Some of my neighbors in the village where I used to live loved to pry upon the personal lives of some of the residents in the area. One of their favorites was Mr. Smith (ok, not his real name;). They told me that he was a convicted felon and had just gone out of prison a few years back.

Of course, I didn’t immediately believe my neighbors. I was able to talk to Mr. Smith once and he seemed to be a very gentle person.

One Saturday morning, the thought of running a criminal record search on Mr. Smith crossed my mind. I don’t know if the gossip had gotten to me or if I really just wanted to prove my neighbors wrong, but I decided to go through with it.

Just as I suspected, Mr. Smith had a clean record. I was supposed to tell those rumor-mongers about my discovery, but I was quite too embarrassed to let them know that their stories had gotten into me. Well, at least I’ve proven to myself that gossips are indeed a waste of time.

Brand New or Newly Stolen?

I love a good bargain. I do believe that many department stores are unreasonably hiking up prices just to increase corporate profits. Hence, I usually go the extra mile in searching every nook and cranny for good deals.

A few months ago, a friend of mine took me to an electronics store that sells mobile phones at incredibly low prices. My eyes beamed when I saw the price tag of the Motorola RAZR phone that previously caught my fancy. It was being sold at just a fraction of its regular price! I would’ve immediately bought it had I been able to withdraw cash from the ATM. However, I only had a few dollars on my wallet, and the store doesn’t accept credit cards.

I asked my friend to drive me to the nearest ATM. While we were looking for one, I asked him if the units were stolen or smuggled because I found it difficult to believe that they were regularly acquired. He told me that I was worrying too much. Maybe I was. The thought of running a criminal record check on the proprietor of the shop ran through my mind. However, my friend assured me that the shop was legal and that it was licensed to do business.

Of course, I ended up buying the phone ;)

Second Chances

Convicted felons are always hopeful that there would be life after prison. Unfortunately, many of them are rudely awaken from their dream of a new life since businesses are hesitant to employ them.

I can’t blame those businesses though. Those who carry a criminal record under their name sometimes do seem to be still capable of committing another felony. However, we would be doing more harm to society if we let these people return to their former life of crime due to unemployment.

Whenever a person who carries a criminal record approaches you for a job, don’t dismiss him outright. Check his resume and talk to him. You could also go the extra mile by conducting a background check on him to see if he really has changed for the better.

If your investigation has shown that he has conducted himself in a very respectable manner after having spent some time in jail, or after doing community service, then seriously consider him for the vacant position in your business. Everybody deserves a second chance.

Deep Enough?

In my previous article, I have stressed that one shouldn’t judge anybody based on the color of his skin, or by the income bracket that he belongs to. Indeed, discrimination has no place in a civilized society like ours.

However, my admonition shouldn’t dissuade anybody from conducting a criminal record search on somebody whom they’re uncomfortable with. Sometimes, hunches are right, especially if considerable thought has already been given to it.

If suspicious looks are coupled with dubious actions, then by all means check if that person has a criminal record. Living in a civilized society doesn’t mean that every person in it is civilized. One can’t be too careful nowadays. Besides, a criminal record search is not that intrusive. In fact, the process usually just involves browsing through police and government databases. Believe me, the undertaking wouldn’t even merit a filler scene in CSI – no guns and wild chases are involved.