GIS mapping systems, now online for many cities, will plot a real property address on an aerial photograph. The GIS mapping site for Oakland, California has real property owner names, which are not available through the Alameda County Assessor online site. (This site isn’t listed at the “Largest Free Public Records Directory”, which shall not be named, but you already know the site. ) The plug-in for the mapping portion must first be downloaded but you can still search the property data without this software.

Technorati Tags: gis, oakland, property

This article, an introduction to interviewing techniques, comes from Humansource.com, a Canadian enterprise that provides competitive intelligence training. The author advises the interviewer to conduct research in advance of the interview and to try to develop a psychological advantage by understanding the subject’s potential interests in participating in the interview.

If time permits, do some research on the source you wish to contact: academic and professional background, articles published, family setting, contacts, hobbies, etc. This research should pretty much establish the credibility of your human source. You need to be able to anticipate how the person will respond to your first contact by asking yourself this question: why would this person answer me?

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This site lists legal cases related to horses. Organized by theme, it provides links to the decisions.

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The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency site links to many of its local office that have DEA fugitives listed, with a photograph and description.

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I often check the searchsystems.net site to gauge the newness of a government-maintained public records site. These are a few California county inmate searches that I didn’t find on searchsystems.

Riverside County Inmate Custody search.

Yolo County lists booking information by month for 2005; the names of inmates are listed with charges and location of arrest.

Alameda County Sheriff uses the VINE (Victim Information and Notification Everyday) program but only has telephone access. To check the status of an inmate call 1-800-511-1687, enter the name through your telephone key pad, or the PFN to find out if the individual is in custody, at which jail and module, their release date, charges, and whether they are eligible for bail.

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Search by first or last name, or all last names by letter, to verify inmates in custody or recently released in Sacramento County, California. Extensive details are provided on the inmate’s convictions.

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The New Jersey Administrative Office of the Courts has released its policy guidelines for access to case court records. The report addresses the procedures for handling public requests for trial court case files, not the sticky issues of electronic access.

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First, a reminder. When you’re out in the field and need to call directory assistance, don’t pay for it, make use of one of the free lookup services: U.S. Nationwide, 1-800-FREE-411 and in the San Francisco Bay area 1-800-411-SAVE are available.

People who are more inventive than I, have crafted these tools of convenience, useful for repetitive web functions. Add an icon to your bookmarks toolbar that, when selected, drops down a menu of your favorite web functions: shorten a url or to enable “right-click” on any page, for example. I’ve used blummy to make quick links, that are accessible from any web page. A more knowledgeable explanation, and all manner of additional tools can be found at bookmarklets.com.

A facial recognition program that will enable name associations to be applied to specific photographs, making them searchable on the Internet, is in its testing phase.

Currently in alpha testing, Riya software works by analysing 50 variables, including hair and eye colours, gender, height, clothing and other features that help identify people. It also uses text recognition to read street signs and other text in photos for clues about a picture’s location.

More photos, more names, means more avenues for finding people and developing background.

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You’ll want to add this site to your courts favorites folder. This is how the uninformed among us can quickly associate the federal circuit court number with its geographical area, link to its website and the corresponding bankruptcy and appellate courts.

[Technorati tags: federal court]