Thursday, May 19, 2011

Criminal record searches, free, public, online

That's what the B.C. government has provided. Wonder if your son's girlfriend has a criminal record? Your boss? Check them out.
Jody Paterson has the info here. Like her, I'm still thinking about this. (A triumph for information freedom, or a destructive invasion of privacy. I'm leaning toward the former.)

UPDATE
I'm reminded the criminal record information has been available, at no charge, since the fall. Fees were lifted as a result of the award-winning Access Denied project by Times Colonist reporters Lindsay Kines, Rob Shaw and Louise Dickson. The series looked at the erosion of access to information that was supposed to be public in courthouses.

3 comments:

Rod Paynter said...

It doesn't look free to me!

http://vancouver.ca/police/organization/records-checks-fingerprinting/police-records-check.html#Fees

Beth said...

Free ? I work at a big health facility in the province and the amount of 25.00 was taken off my check to conduct a criminal records check.. of which I must have done every 5 years, as well the volunteers who work the gift shop are required to have a criminal record check at their own cost.. I over heard that remark while waiting in line at my local hospital gift shop..
Where is it free? and who is free to?

albina N muro said...

Public arrest records handed to you on a silver plate. Search arrest records and warrant arrest records. Check anyone and get results in 30 seconds. criminal background check florida free