A recent audit of the Texas Statewide Criminal Search found there was a discrepancy in criminal records. The Texas Statewide Criminal Database search is the background used by administrators to screen the state’s healthcare workers and educators and various staff members.
According to an article in the Star-Telegram….”Prosecutors and courts have failed to submit to the state disposition records on about one of every four arrests in 2009, the audit found. While that is a slight improvement from a 2006 audit, it still means that the Department of Public Safety Computerized Criminal History System is not a reliable source for complete information, the audit found.”
While there were reported improvements in the accuracy of the database, it was generally agreed the Department of Public Safety criminal records cannot be fully relied upon. It was also noted, and fairly, that the DPS cannot be expected to be responsible for local and county courts updating their criminal records to the DPC database.
According to the article…’the report notes that 1,634 (7.65 percent) of 21,351 offenders admitted to jail, prison, or probation by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice in November 2010 did not have corresponding prosecutor and court records in the DPS system.”
State law requires that the courts and prosecutors submit updated records within thirty days of disposition. This hasn’t been happening. So…the DPS database system not only becomes sketchy for state administrators conducting background checks but also for employers who are using the DPS Statewide Criminal Records Search for their employment screening purposes. It looks like it has been prioritized that Texas tighten up the DPS criminal database. I certainly hope so as otherwise convicted felons may slip through the cracks.
