Available Public Police Records Online

By Claire Dowell


According to the recent data shown by the United States Census Bureau, Lone Star state has an estimated population of almost 25,674,681 for the year 2011. In United States of America, Texas State is the second most highly populated state in the country. With this great population, Texas State also offers citizens and tourists exciting locations and enjoyable activities they make to attract people from different state and other countries as well. The state government of Texas allows its people to gain access to their personal files including birth certificates, death records, Texas Police Records and other vital documents.

In United States of America, every citizen has a privilege to request their own criminal record anytime and can be kept private under the privacy act law made by the government. Criminal record is one of the major requirements for every individual who is applying for a job, getting a license, identification, security clearance, applying for immigration, visa applications, when entering a school and for possible criminal investigations. Police record, known as Criminal record, is a type of record that is considered as a primary source of information. It contains the criminal history offense and current status of the person convicted of a certain crime.

Law enforcement agencies often share information regarding the record with other similar enforcement agencies and this information is usually made available to the public. Murder, attempted murder, assault, battery, rape and sexual assault, abuse, animal cruelty falls under violent crime category. If a firearm is being used or present during the crimes scene, it will be listed on the record of the defendant. Other crimes like traffic crimes, property crimes, tax evasion, perjury, fraud, disorderly conduct and drugs are also stated.

The Texas Public Information Act is a series of laws designed to guarantee that the public has access to public records of government bodies at all levels in Texas. The Texas Government Code gives the citizens the right to access records at various levels of Texas government, without having to declare your purpose in doing so. Ability of a citizen to gain access to public records was at the discretion of the custodian of the records, except in those cases where records custodians were forbidden to allow access. Information included that is maintained in paper, book, letter, document, printout, photograph, tape, microfilm, video, electronic data held in a computer memory, as well as other mediums specified under law.

The Texas Public Information Act allows the government agencies to charge all costs associated with making copies of public information, including the cost of materials, labor, and overhead costs. It is the attorney general of Texas who maintains an Open Records Division. They play the role of mediator and sometimes a judge in open records disputes. Information held in the custody of a private contractor doing business with the government may be considered public under the said act, if it relates to government official duties and for whom the private contractor is consulting is entitled to the information.

Everyone in the State of America was given the right to obtain copies of Police Records. First things to do are to give complete information of the person for the government body to be able to accurately identify and locate the information requested. Mostly information can be viewed for free but in order to obtain copies it will cost no more than $40 but when charges exceed the requester will received a written statement of estimated charges. An estimated ten working days will be given upon the requester. Submission of requests is through mail, fax or in person according to the reasonable procedures of the agency handling such dossiers.




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