3 Situations When a Criminal Record Matters

Earlier this week we looked at when and why it matters if someone has [a criminal record][1]. We noted that this question would likely be answered differently by different people and in different contexts. A criminal record involving someone close to you is more pressing than knowing the down the street neighbor whom you’ve never actually met has one.

Here are three situations when knowing that someone has a criminal record might actually matter and how your awareness of the situation can improve your choices:

A New Date

Getting things off on the right foot is important in a new relationship and it’s also important to know if a potential romantic partner is hiding anything crucial from you. If you get a funny feeling about an otherwise promising new romantic interest in your life, then consider running a background check to get peace of mind.

If you find past criminal activity of importance then at the very least, you know having a prompt conversation about past mistakes is important. At worst, you may find that that this person intends on hiding something important about him or herself from you.

Anyone interacting with your children

You can’t watch your kids 100% of the time and there will be always be other adults in their lives, whether through a carpool to school, the parents of their friends, or even older friends that they meet through various activities.

If something doesn’t feel right to you, running a background check should be a no-brainer. We have had previous customers use our service to uncover criminal records and remove their children from potentially dangerous situations. The threats out there are real, and a background check can be an affordable and accessible first line of protection for your family. What you do with the knowledge is up to you.

A neighbor or acquaintance

While it’s impossible to check on the history of everyone you interact with, you should feel comfortable around people like next-door neighbors and anyone else in your close proximity. If a neighbor has a history of gun violations, for example, then maybe it’s a good idea to avoid having your children play near his yard.

The power of a background check is simply the power of information.

We hope you don’t find out anything questionable about your neighbor or new love interest, but having the power of that knowledge will certainly improve your chances of making more informed decisions, a key mission of ours when we started BeenVerified.