Librarian People Search.com

At the city level in America (civil records), there are some civil public records that may help you in your people search. The city police department is a good place to start. Remember, in some states there are both county police and city police, so make sure you check both resources if available to you.
When it comes to civil public records, at the city police department you can enquire about arrest records and any other type of records that may have involved your subject and the city police at one time or anther. If you find resistance, you may have to file a Freedom of Information Act form to get what you need. The city police will also have records of traffic violations and any parking violations, which may include unpaid fines, if there are any.
Next, in terms of local civil public records, you can try the city homeless shelters, city missions, and charity organizations. Larger cities will have a number of these types of organizations listed in the phonebook under “social services.” Depending on your people search, your person may be transient and move from place to place. If you receive a solid lead as to where he or she may have been last seen, it is possible that the person may be know to the local service organizations. Do not forget to contact the local churches in the area that you are looking. They may be able to give you a lead to one of their service organizations. Civil resources can be very helpful.
Again, depending on your people search and who you are looking for, you can try the city cemetery and mortuary for a different kind of civil records. These civil public records are privately maintained and you will most likely have to call each place individually. The records include burial permits, funeral service records, funeral and memorial arrangements, obituaries, and arrangements of grave care.
City hospitals and clinics are good places to try for civil public records. Even though medical records are confidential, it is possible in special circumstances to locate a missing loved one that has been entered into a medical facility as a John Doe. Furthermore, your personal physician may be able to obtain records for you, depending on your situation and search.
Local day labor offices may also be a good source of tracking down someone who is homeless. Again, depending on your people search, these are good places to try because this is normally where people who need quick cash will go to work each day. You can locate these places by looking in the particular city’s phone book, usually listed under “employment agencies.”
To continue with the theme of looking for someone who is transient and may be homeless, you can also try the local blood bank in larger cities, another good source of civil records. This is where many people will go to sell plasma (the white blood cells in the body) for some money. If this is a source of income for the person in your people search, you might want to locate the local blood bank in the particular city and give an inquiry call. They may prove helpful in giving you a solid lead.
City schools are also a good source of information. If you can arrange a visit to the local media center or school library in a particular school that your subject attended, you might find a yearbook from his or her graduating class. If you are doing a genealogical search, this might prove very interesting.
Lastly, the city newspaper, which has been talked about, is a very good source of civil public records information. Ask the local librarian to help you dig through this resource.