Home › Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy

This policy describes the information that may be handled during a visit, why it is used, and the limited situations in which another party may receive it. By using Dutchess County Criminal History, you accept the data practices stated below.

Data You Give Us Directly

Search Queries

A name or location entered in a search box is sent to the outside company that supplies that tool. The provider processes the query and controls the returned results. Dutchess County Criminal History does not retain those search terms on its own system.

Messages and Contact Submissions

A message sent to us may be kept long enough to answer and maintain the related correspondence. It is not disclosed beyond the operating team unless disclosure is required by a valid legal obligation.

Data We Gather Automatically

Ordinary server logs may record technical details when a visitor loads a page:

  • Page-view dates and times
  • The referring website, when one is supplied
  • Visited pages and approximate time spent on them
  • Browser name and version
  • Device type and operating system
  • The device's internet protocol address

Cookies and Analytics

Cookies are small files saved through a browser. They and analytics services help measure aggregate traffic, such as which pages receive visits and where sessions end. A browser can reject or remove cookies, although disabling them may change how some features work.

What We Do With This Data

  • Diagnosing errors and performance problems
  • Operating and maintaining the website
  • Sending a search query to the selected outside provider
  • Understanding which reference pages visitors use
  • Displaying advertising that may reflect visitor interests

No Criminal-Record Data on File

Dutchess County Criminal History does not host, assemble, or sell a database of personal criminal records. It publishes directions to official custodians, including the Sheriff's Office, Unified Court System clerks, the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services, and the New York State Sex Offender Registry. It is not a consumer reporting agency under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Visitor data is not compiled into a consumer report or a dossier about another person.

Third-Party Search Partners

Independent companies provide the embedded search tools. Their privacy notices, retention periods, and disclosure rules apply to data submitted through their forms. We do not direct those practices. Review a provider's policy before sending a query.

Links to Other Websites

Links may lead to court portals, sheriff and state-agency pages, legal services, or commercial search providers. Once a visitor follows an external link, the destination's privacy policy governs. Check those terms before providing personal information.

Advertising providers may use their own technology to measure activity across websites and select ads. That processing occurs under the provider's controls and policies.

Who Might See Your Data

We do not sell personal data. Limited data may be available to:

  • Analytics vendors that measure traffic and site performance
  • Search providers that process a query sent through their tool
  • Advertising networks that serve content on the pages
  • A government body or law-enforcement agency acting under a valid legal demand

How We Protect Your Data

Reasonable technical and organizational safeguards are used for data under our control. No internet service can guarantee absolute security, so these measures do not amount to a promise that unauthorized access will never occur.

Users Under 18

This resource is intended for adults and does not knowingly collect personal information from anyone younger than 18. If such information is identified, a deletion request may be made through the contact route.

Your Data Rights

Applicable law may provide additional protections. New York General Business Law § 349 addresses deceptive business practices, while § 899-aa governs notice following certain breaches of private information. The New York Freedom of Information Law applies to government records, not data held by this private website. Subject to applicable law, you may:

  • Request deletion of personal data we control
  • Ask what personal information we hold about you
  • Request correction of inaccurate information
  • Object to or opt out of processing where the law provides that choice

Updates to This Policy

This policy may be revised as the website or applicable requirements change. A revised copy will appear here with its new effective date, and continued use will be governed by the posted version.

Effective date: August 1, 2026