Compliance services

Continuous criminal monitoring for your workforce

A background check is a snapshot of the past. Continuous criminal monitoring tells you when an existing employee is arrested, charged, or convicted, instead of leaving you to find out at the next annual review.

Request criminal monitoring (866) 440-0302

Nationwide court and jail dataVetted alerts, not raw hitsFCRA-compliant process

An employee using an access card on a wall reader in an office

Alerts are vetted by a Catapult screening specialist before they reach you.

The problem

A hiring check tells you about the day you ran it

Most companies run a criminal background check when they hire someone and treat that one-time look as lasting safety. It is not. It only shows the past. It cannot tell you what happens after a person joins your team.

Workplace violencePutting your staff and customers in danger.

Theft and fraudLeading to significant financial losses.

Reputation damageBreaking the trust of the public and your customers.

Negligent retention exposureNot knowing about an employee’s offence is the fact pattern a negligent retention claim is built on. Silence after a hiring check is not safety, it is an absence of information.

Two colleagues in discussion across an office desk

How it works

How continuous criminal monitoring works

Enrol your workforceYou decide who is monitored. Many employers start with safety-sensitive, customer-facing, or cash-handling roles rather than everyone at once.

Records are scanned continuouslyOur system scans for new criminal records: arrests, charges, convictions, and jail data, pulled from county and state courts, jail and prison records, and sex offender lists across the nation.

Hits are vetted before you see themWhen new activity is detected, we vet the information before alerting you. This is the step that matters. A raw database match on a common name is not news, it is noise, and acting on it is how employers get into trouble.

You get an actionable alertYou receive a detailed alert with the facts you need to act, rather than waiting for a yearly review to surface it.

Who uses it

Where ongoing monitoring earns its keep

Healthcare and senior careOften paired with FACIS Level 3 sanctions screening, which covers exclusions and licensing actions that a criminal search does not.

Transportation and fleetUsually run alongside MVR monitoring, since a driving record and a criminal record are separate sources.

Financial services and cash handlingWhere a new theft or fraud charge is directly material to the role.

Education and youth-serving rolesWhere continuous monitoring is often preferred to annual re-screening. See also volunteer screening.

Facilities and in-home serviceWhere employees hold keys or enter customers’ homes unsupervised.

Staffing and high-turnover workforcesWhere re-screening everyone annually is impractical but the risk does not go away.

The benefits

Turning risk into safety

Lower legal and financial risk

Not knowing about an employee’s offence can lead to negligent retention lawsuits. Regular monitoring protects your organization.

Guard your reputation

One incident involving an employee with a hidden criminal past can undo years of trust. Proactive monitoring keeps your brand strong.

Keep your workplace safe

By finding threats quickly, you put the safety of your staff and customers first. A safe workplace helps people work better and stay longer.

Compliance

Monitoring is regulated, and the rules bite

Continuous monitoring is lawful when it is run correctly. Getting the process wrong is where employers create liability rather than reduce it.

It is a consumer report, every timeEach alert delivered by a consumer reporting agency is a consumer report under the FCRA. Authorization must cover ongoing monitoring, not just the original pre-hire check.

Adverse action still appliesIf you act on an alert, the pre-adverse and adverse action process applies. The employee gets a copy of the report and an opportunity to dispute it before a final decision.

An arrest is not a convictionActing on an arrest record alone carries real discrimination risk, and several jurisdictions restrict it outright. This is precisely why alerts should be vetted and assessed rather than automated into a termination.

State and local law variesBan-the-box and fair-chance rules differ by jurisdiction and some limit what you may consider and when. Build the policy before you turn monitoring on.

FAQs

Criminal monitoring questions

What is continuous criminal monitoring?

Continuous criminal monitoring is an ongoing process of checking an individual’s criminal record for new activity after an initial background check, providing real-time updates on any new arrests, charges, or convictions.

Why is continuous monitoring necessary if I already conduct background checks?

Initial background checks are static; they only reflect past events. Continuous monitoring identifies criminal activity that occurs after an individual is hired, protecting your organization from new risks as they emerge.

How often are records checked?

Our system continuously scans available public records, providing alerts as soon as new, relevant criminal activity is detected, rather than on a fixed schedule.

Is continuous monitoring legal and compliant?

Yes, when implemented correctly, continuous monitoring is legal and compliant with federal and state regulations, including the FCRA. We ensure our processes adhere to all legal requirements. The two things that most often go wrong are authorization that does not cover ongoing monitoring, and acting on an alert without running the adverse action process.

What happens when new criminal activity is detected?

Upon detection, you receive an immediate, detailed alert. This information empowers you to assess the situation, consult with legal counsel if necessary, and make informed decisions in accordance with your policies and legal obligations.

Can I dismiss someone based on a monitoring alert?

Not automatically, and not on the alert alone. An arrest is not a conviction, several jurisdictions restrict the use of arrest records, and the FCRA adverse action process gives the employee a chance to dispute the report first. Treat an alert as the start of an assessment against your written policy, not as a decision.

Does this replace annual re-screening?

For most employers it does more than an annual re-screen, because it surfaces an event within days rather than up to a year later. Some regulated industries still require a periodic full re-screen regardless, so check your own requirements.

Catapult is a proud member of the Professional Background Screening Association, upholding the highest standards of accuracy, compliance, and consumer protection in background screening.

Screening services

Related screening services

Most employers combine several of these into one screening package.

Pre-employment screening→FACIS Level 3 healthcare screening→Employment history verification→Education verification→Professional reference checks→MVR monitoring & driver screening→Volunteer background checks→Military service verification→Paperless I-9 verification→I-9 audit & remediation→Drug screening services→

Ready to level up your safety?

Every company has different needs. Let us talk about yours and build a monitoring plan that fits.

Request criminal monitoring (866) 440-0302

*Catapult Services Corporation is an investigative agency licensed by the Private Protective Services Board of the State of North Carolina specializing in corporate pre-employment background screening. Our corporate agency license is BPN 001473P11M, Qualify Agent, Kevin von der Lippe, PI, 2891. Catapult Services Corporation is a consumer reporting agency that supplies applicant screening services for employment, volunteer and student screening, to authorized organizations under the conditions of the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act.

Human Trafficking

If you feel you are a victim of Human Trafficking, click on this link to learn more about your rights as it relates to your background screening report.

Personal Information Disclosure: United States or Overseas

Personal information submitted to Catapult Services Corporation for background screening is not transferred to third parties outside of the United States or its territories unless the completion of a background report about the person requires gathering information about that person from outside the United States (ex. international criminal check, verification of employment records outside the United States or verification of education records outside the United States.) All personal information will be transmitted and stored in a secure manner in accordance with the terms of this Privacy Policy.

Brielle EarleyBackground Screening Specialist

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