How to Find and Access Free California Criminal Records

The Department of Justice in California maintains California criminal records. Each of the 58 counties in the state has a trial court. There are specific laws that determine the accessibility of the records in California. California, like other US. states, provides its citizens the right to view criminal records. These records are available for the public to access from a number of online sources. These records include details regarding criminals gathered by the state law enforcement agencies, and are available for the public to ensure greater safety. They are maintained by different courts and law enforcement agencies under the supervision of the Department of Justice.

Sources of Free Criminal Records

Criminal records, like other public records, are readily available and are mandated by law. These records can be accessed from sources such as security agencies and governmental enforcement agencies, commercial record providers, public information centers like libraries, welfare associations and volunteer organizations, and from some recommended free websites as well.

Another source of free California criminal records is the database of the California Supreme Court at http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/ . There are also other sources to obtain criminal records of California such as an individual attorney, the superior court where an individual was convicted, and from the Department of Justice criminal record division. You can also obtain criminal records of California from the Department of Corrections from http://www.cdcr.ca.gov which serves as a storehouse of criminal records. You can filter down your search criteria by using the first and last names of the offender.

In case you want a list of offenders living in a particular county, you can search for them from the online records as well. Whether the criminal is under incarceration or parole, or he or she has been pardoned by the state, the record is sure t be present in the case files.

Federal Record Sources

One can also search criminal records of various states like California from federal record sources like the National Crime Information Center (NCIC); this agency holds the official criminal history which is managed by Federal Bureau of Investigation. NCIC maintains records which are based on arrest warrants, stolen property, arrests, missing persons and dispositions regarding misdemeanors and felonies.

The FBI compiles an individual's record in the form of an Interstate Identification Index.  This index contains all the information which is provided by local law enforcement agencies and other federal agencies. This record also contains municipal and traffic offenses. You can get information regarding this at the FBI website, http://fbi.gov . The FBI also provides a unique identification number to identify a specific individual.

Other Federal Sources of Records

The National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) is used by the FBI to check potential firearm buyers.

The Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System is the largest biometric database maintained by the FBI which contains criminal submissions, civil submissions and arrests from authorized background checks.

Free Criminal Records

A criminal record search can be done anytime and anywhere as long as Internet access is available. Free criminal records are available all over the Internet, but all of them are not equal. There are many sites that offer free information. These include public and government offices.

California Criminal Records

The following statistics are provided by the Bureau of Criminal Information and Analysis, Criminal Justice Statistics Center of California. This is a preliminary crime count record for January through June 2008. Some of the crime statistics of California are: murder and the number of homicides reported during the first quarter of 2008 increased by around 2.0 percent when compared to the same period in the previous year. The numbers of registered rape cases increased around 3.2 percent during the first quarter of 2008 when compared to the same period in the previous year. During the first quarter of 2008, when compared to the same period in the previous year, the number of reported robberies decreased around 5.8 percent. When compared to the same period in the previous year, the number of aggravated assaults reported during the first quarter of 2008 decreased around 5.8 percent.

Where to Find Criminal Records

However, these reports are subject to change but you can always track this information from various government websites. These records are available also at the FBI websites and other local law enforcement agencies. People can easily access these records on the various websites that are providing records for background check purposes. These are easy to access as very simple procedures are required to get all the information.

A simple form needs to be filled out with the person's name or zip code which will help you to narrow down your search; or, you can visit the federal departments in your area to go through the records in person if you have the time.

Information in the Records

The sex offenders of California need to register with the sheriff's department. The information that is to be provided during registration includes their full name, address, classification and photograph. The fingerprint is also a vital part of the record.

You can also visit the Bureau Of Criminal Information and Analysis at the address below:
Bureau Of Criminal Information and Analysis
P.O. Box 903387
Sacramento, CA 94203-3870 or you may call at (916) 227-3460.

So if you want to find information regarding California criminal records for free then you can log on to the government sites to get the authentic reports and statistics. However you can also visit courthouses and government repositories to get the information. But this can be a laborious task. The online sources, on the other hand, are an easier way to locate all details with regard to a offender living in California.