The MSP and Your Privacy (Criminal History)

Is the Michigan State Police really concerned about your criminal history privacy?

Here’s what they say on their website

The Michigan State Police (MSP) is committed to protecting the privacy of your potentially personally identifiable data (PPID) in a strong and meaningful manner. Our privacy policy is designed to inform both members of the public and our employees about the PPID information we collect, how we use it, how we maintain it in our systems, under what circumstances you may access or correct your own information, and what we may disclose to others.

Criminal History Information

Criminal History Record information includes name; date of birth; personal descriptions including identifying marks, scars, amputations, and tattoos; aliases and prior names; social security number, driver’s license number, and other identifying numbers; and information on misdemeanor arrests and convictions and felony arrests and convictions.

Pursuant to the Bureau of Criminal Identification and Records Act, Act 289 of 1925, MSP is responsible for procuring and filing criminal history record information on all persons arrested within the State of either a felony or a misdemeanor, or criminal contempt charge.

Criminal History information is available to criminal justice personnel and other entities, for both criminal justice purposes and other purposes specifically authorized by law.

Public Criminal History Record information can be accessed by the public through the Internet Criminal History Access Tool (ICHAT) at https://www.michigan.gov/ichat. ICHAT will not provide Criminal History information that is nonpublic or prohibited by law from being disseminated.

Information on how to obtain or correct your own Criminal History can be found here:

• Search
• Expunge
• Modify
• Update Criminal History Records.

Criminal Justice Information 

MSP may directly or indirectly collect potentially personally identifiable data from individuals in the course of performing its statutory duties. This information may exist on paper or electronically, and may be captured in written, audio, video, or other formats. This information is used for the sole purpose of administering criminal justice.   

Criminal Justice Information is used and disclosed solely for Criminal Justice purposes, or as required by law. It is protected, retained, and used in compliance with the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) Criminal Justice Information Systems (CJIS) Security Policy, the CJIS Policy Council Act (Act 163 of 1974), and other applicable state statutes.   

Here’s what we say

Don’t talk to the police before, during or after your Miranda rights have been read without a lawyer present. If you do limit your information because what you say locks you into what you said. Just because you are not under arrest or being detained does not mean what you say will not be used against you.

Here is some information to review.

• Keep in mind the police are allowed to lie to you.
• Your Fifth Amendment rights
• When remaining silent can be used against you
• Your Sixth Amendment rights
• Testilying
• What are Miranda Rights?
• US Constitution

More Rights You Should Know

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