The question is as old as humanity, and has been heretofore covered by countless philosophers, theologians and jilted lovers. A new company, CriminalSearches.com, is helping you answer the question and verify your distrust of humanity all in a few key stokes!

Attached to PeopleFinders.com, the new site allows you to access the records of counties, municipalities, cities and states to provide an instant snapshot of people with criminal records. Private eyes have been doing this type of search for a fee since the Pinkerton Agency was busting up unionizing miners, but CiminalSeaches.com is giving up the goods for free. Ah, technology and the 21st century!

All derisiveness aside, the site does offer some very valuable tools. Parents may find the Sex Offender section of the site particularly useful, especially since it includes photos and details of offenses.

Of course, it’s not all peaches and cream when you get a database like this up and running. Firstly, there’s the matter of privacy. As much as someone violates the social contract when the commit a crime, aren’t they still afforded some degree of privacy? The real trouble comes when you get “false positives” that could lead to disastrous outcomes. It almost seems that bureaucracies were meant to breed mistakes, and when it comes to something like a charge of child molestation, say, you don’t want to be lumped into the wrong crowd. Especially if you’re moving to a new neighborhood and you happen to share the name of somebody who has committed said offense.

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