2 answers
Trinity
Student
Honolulu, Hawaii
4
Questions
Asked
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Any software or apps that I should know about in this field?
Paralegal investigator #criminal-justice #lawyer
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2 answers
Thomas Wiggins
Retired police officer
21
Answers
Highland Park, Illinois
Updated
Thomas’s Answer
I found Lexis Nexus to be a good resource for background checks.
Kim Igleheart
Career Counselor | Police Officer
1662
Answers
San Antonio, Texas
Updated
Kim’s Answer
Trinity,
The software/aps is constantly changing. You will learn some of them through school and on the job training. Don't overlook the obvious. I found my "missing link" on FB. I was trying to figure out why an officer went berserk on our client when he allegedly resisted arrest. I pulled the officer's reports for other resisting arrest cases, and he had some pretty bad people, but he never whooped up on them. So, why now? What was different? It turns out that when the officer was in the police academy, his father was killed. Our client resembled the murderer.
If you are affiliated with a law firm, they should have special access for running various checks on people. A lot will depend on what it is you are investigating. There are many public records. Lawsuits, land ownership, divorce/marriage records, etc.
NEVER EVER believe that your client is telling you the truth. Never. You need to investigate them too! (It's called doing your "due diligence.") You don't want to be caught by surprise. I had a client who answered an interrogatory (sworn response) by saying she had never been involved in litigation. Before submitting her responses, I found public records indicating that she had been involved in probate litigation over her dad's estate. She also lied about her GPA on her resume, which conflicted with her transcripts, both of which we were providing to opposing counsel! yikes!
Not a part of your question, but, I encourage you to try to do ride alongs with police officers, join the citizen police academy, etc. Learning to think like a cop will help you with some of your work.
Kim
The software/aps is constantly changing. You will learn some of them through school and on the job training. Don't overlook the obvious. I found my "missing link" on FB. I was trying to figure out why an officer went berserk on our client when he allegedly resisted arrest. I pulled the officer's reports for other resisting arrest cases, and he had some pretty bad people, but he never whooped up on them. So, why now? What was different? It turns out that when the officer was in the police academy, his father was killed. Our client resembled the murderer.
If you are affiliated with a law firm, they should have special access for running various checks on people. A lot will depend on what it is you are investigating. There are many public records. Lawsuits, land ownership, divorce/marriage records, etc.
NEVER EVER believe that your client is telling you the truth. Never. You need to investigate them too! (It's called doing your "due diligence.") You don't want to be caught by surprise. I had a client who answered an interrogatory (sworn response) by saying she had never been involved in litigation. Before submitting her responses, I found public records indicating that she had been involved in probate litigation over her dad's estate. She also lied about her GPA on her resume, which conflicted with her transcripts, both of which we were providing to opposing counsel! yikes!
Not a part of your question, but, I encourage you to try to do ride alongs with police officers, join the citizen police academy, etc. Learning to think like a cop will help you with some of your work.
Kim
Thank you kim I'll take this into consideration. I really don't believe people period but I understand always background check. Appreciate it.
Trinity