Criminal Police Verification Checks: A Tale of Blatant Loopholes
In India, criminal police verification reports are often the main, if not
the only, component of a criminal background check. Ideally, they should help
verify if an individual has been involved in any criminal activity and has
pending criminal cases in jurisdictional police offices records.
These reports involve checking records at the commissioner of police office/superintendent
of police office and the local police station, as applicable, based on a candidate’s
address and local or state regulations. However, there are specific challenges
with these reports that render them less effective, often inaccurate, and
potentially non-compliant with a variety of local, regional, and international
regulations and guidelines. The various challenges in conducting a police
verification check include:
An individual with a criminal background in one part of city, state or country
could relocate to within India and appear to have no criminal
record on a local police verification. Pair this stark coverage gap with
all of the issues above and this verification method is highly ineffective
and potentially futile if not performed through a formal process.
W. Barry Nixon is the COO, PreemploymentDirectory.com the leading background screening information portal and online worldwide directory of professional background screening firms and Suppliers to the background screening industry. He co-authored the landmark book, Background Screening & Investigations: Managing Hiring Risk from the HR and Security Perspective. He also is the publisher of award winning newsletters, The Background Buzz and The Global Background Screener, and the author of the Background Checks column in PI Magazine.
In addition, Barry is a past recipient of the elite ‘Top 25 Influential People in Security’ by Security Magazine and past Co-Chair, International Committee for the National Association for Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS). He currently serves as a Global Ambassador for NAPBS.
You can contact Barry at 1-949-770-5264 or online at wbnixon@preemploymentdirectory.com