Police officers at county and state police department levels and federal agents, all have the task of gathering solid evidence in order to present a strong case before a court of law. Even a private investigator doing covert surveillance work finds himself facing the same disciplined demands: the need for solid evidence that meets the rules and that will be accepted in the pre hearing as substantive rather than circumstantial evidence.

The FBI has long been renowned for its focus on and expertise in 'profiling' where a certain class or type of crime is considered to be typically committed by a person fitting a standardized personality and behavioral profile. Crimes such as serial murder, rape and the sexual offense group are frequently handled in this way when a suspect is not immediately apparent. An offender profile is constructed and all incoming data and social information is then put into the picture rather like a massive jigsaw puzzle. Slowly all the dots start to join up into lines and the facts are established. The process is a painstaking one and it can take weeks, months or even years before the truth is finally revealed.

What information systems can contribute to the speeding up of this identification process, outlined above? What will hasten the gathering of critical information and the formation of The Big Picture? Social and family networks are a great source of information on any individual. Brothers and sisters and close friends of a suspect usually know a lot about the person and their habits, their likes and dislikes and inclinations. What are they obsessed about? What are their deepest desires and fantasies? Their worst fears and worries?

In the United States public records are relatively transparent by law and public records searches can add tons of further information to a body of data comprising a case for the prosecution. Social Security, Court and Criminal Records and DMV records are all highly relevant cases in point. Does the suspect have a DUI or DWI record? Does he/she have a rap sheet five pages long? Have there been liens registered? What about court orders, divorce cases or bankruptcies? Can you now see the scope of public record searching? A picture is slowly beginning to emerge as a base for reasonable questionning.

There are now advances in integrated database searching that make The Internet a lethal informational weapon in the right hands - on the right side of the law. Federal investigators are not slow to acquire these Internet tools and the same applies to web savvy, professional private investigators. However, few U.S. citizens are aware of their search right on The Internet under federal Freedom Of Information.

The most useful public records search system in my opinion is any system powered by the C.I.S. or Complete Investigation Services. You can read more in the section about further information.

Thank you.

Geoffrey P. Dodd