Saturday, September 6, 2014

By Claire Dowell


The office of the Central Repository under the Pennsylvania State Police is the one that handles the PA criminal records. Such record is stored electronically using the Pennsylvania Access to Criminal History Records also known as PATCH.

The online system called the Pennsylvania Access to Criminal Records, also known as PATCH, was developed to help reach out to the public. It is an online database system where all of the criminal records of the state are being kept. This includes the arrest records of Pennsylvania. The system not only caters to registered users but also to non-registered users. This means that the authorities, non-criminal agency and even private individuals have the freedom to use the system. However, there are limitations regarding the information that can be obtained by certain individuals. The system still complies with the state's criminal code.

Some information is kept private and is not available for public access. An example of this is the name of the witnesses as well as the investigator who was in charge of the case. This was done to protect the safety of the individuals involved in the incident. If the record involves a minor, such document is kept private and is only accessible by authorized individuals. In case where the case is still being investigated, the criminal record is only made open once the case has been closed. This was done to avoid any alterations on the document or bias on the decisions during the investigation.

The state will only allow its residents to obtain a copy of their personal information. Only authorized individuals such as employers, organizations and government agencies can gain access to the files of other people. A search using the name can be done for only $10 while a fingerprint search will cost $15 per request. The Pennsylvania Access to criminal history records will only allow authorities to do a fingerprint scan; otherwise the search is only possible with a name search.

Before the Pennsylvania Access to Criminal Records was developed, residents of the state would have to go to the office of the State Police to request for a copy of an arrest record. To avoid the hassle in the office, one can download the request form online and fill it out with the necessary information needed before personally going to the office. Once ready a $10 processing fee ha to be paid in the form of a one order or a check. It is also important that the one who filed the request provide their personal information during the search. This can help track the access to the file.

The Internet is now used as a medium to deliver information to a number of targets. Criminal arrest records are one of the many documents that are now available online. This makes the search convenient and a lot faster than most of the methods that we know of. There are websites that offer criminal records free to public. The Pennsylvania Access to criminal history records is linked with some website in order to deliver the most accurate information to the public.




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