Data You Give Us Directly
Search Queries
A name or place entered in a search box is transmitted directly to the outside provider that operates that tool. The provider processes the request and supplies its response. Westmoreland County Criminal History does not keep or record the search terms on its own systems.
Messages and Contact Submissions
An email sent to us may be retained for the purpose of preparing a response. It remains within the organization unless disclosure is required by a valid legal obligation.
Data We Gather Automatically
When a page loads, the servers may automatically receive routine technical details about that visit:
- Page-view dates, times, and duration
- Browser name and version
- Device category and operating system
- The pages opened during a visit
- A referring website, when one is supplied
- The device's assigned IP address
Cookies and Analytics
Cookies are small files stored on a visitor's device. They and analytics services help aggregate traffic patterns, such as which pages receive visits and where a session ends. Browser controls can block cookies, although disabling them may change how some site functions behave.
What We Do With This Data
- Route a search request to the selected outside provider
- Diagnose errors and other technical problems
- Measure which pages are useful or need improvement
- Operate the site and maintain reasonable load times
- Display advertising that may reflect visitor interests
No Criminal-Record Data on File
Westmoreland County Criminal History does not compile, maintain, or sell a database of personal criminal records. It publishes general directions to official custodians, including the Westmoreland County Sheriff's Office, the Virginia court systems, the Virginia State Police Central Criminal Records Exchange, and the Virginia Sex Offender and Crimes Against Minors Registry. This site is not a consumer reporting agency under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Visitor information is not assembled into consumer reports or third-party criminal profiles.
Third-Party Search Partners
Outside companies operate the search boxes. Information submitted through one of those tools falls under that provider's privacy policy rather than this one. Each provider sets its own retention and disclosure rules, which we do not control. Read those terms before running a search.
Links to Other Websites
Links may lead to the Westmoreland County sheriff, Virginia court portals, state agencies, legal resources, or outside search services. After a visitor follows one, the destination website controls the visit under its own privacy policy. Review that policy before providing personal information.
Some advertising companies may use their systems to observe activity across websites and select targeted advertisements. We do not operate that tracking.
Who Might See Your Data
Personal data is not sold by this site. Information may nevertheless be received by:
- Analytics providers that measure site traffic and performance
- Search partners that process a submitted query
- Advertising networks serving material on these pages
- A government or law-enforcement body acting under a valid legal order
How We Protect Your Data
Reasonable, commonly used security measures protect the data collected by the site. No internet-connected service can guarantee perfect security, however, and we cannot promise that unauthorized access or a breach will never occur.
Users Under 18
This website is intended for adults and does not knowingly collect personal information from anyone younger than 18. If we learn that a minor provided such data, we will delete it.
Your Data Rights
Rights can depend on where a visitor lives and on the data involved. In Virginia, the Virginia Freedom of Information Act, Code § 2.2-3700 et seq., governs access to state and local public records, while Code § 19.2-389 limits dissemination of information from the Central Criminal Records Exchange. Those laws do not turn this private website into a public-record custodian. For information held by this site, a visitor may:
- Request deletion of personal information, when applicable
- Ask what personal information is held about them
- Seek correction of inaccurate personal information
- Opt out of certain processing where the law provides that choice
Updates to This Policy
This privacy policy may be revised. A new version becomes available on this page and carries an updated effective date, so visitors should review it periodically.
Effective date: August 10, 2026