Attorney general employee fired because of criminal record

WTOL-TV Toledo, OH: Attorney general employee fired because of criminal record: "Ohio's top law enforcement official has fired a part-time driver convicted in a fatal shooting.

Attorney General Marc Dann learned of David Nelson's criminal record from a second background check done while the 57-year-old was working in Dann's office in Boardman in northeast Ohio."

Dating Background Checks: A Smart Idea or An Invasion of Privacy?

Investigation News - Dating Background Checks: A Smart Idea or An Invasion of Privacy? - PInow.com Investigator Directory: "The new world of online dating brings new risks to the world of romance. Dating background checks can give daters the tools they need to make informed decisions in matters of the heart.

Dating has always been risky. Trusting someone new carries risks, especially considering that dating requires some trust and often takes daters to out-of-the-way places such as cozy restaurants, darkened movie theatres, and so on. The new interest in Internet dating has only increased risks, according to some experts. Internet research firm Nielsen/NetRatings reported that in January 2005 alone, more than 26 million people visited dating sites.

Internet dating is very convenient and offers people anonymity and a feeling of comfort. Unfortunately, it is very easy to misrepresent one’s identity online. Users of online dating services can use false names and false identities, and can also misrepresent information to give potential dates a very skewed picture of themselves. Online dates can literally be anyone — anyone from a nice person to a criminal with a very violent past.

In 2005 the state of Michigan proposed a new bill that would require Internet dating companies to conduct background checks on users. These online dating services would stat..."

Smart idea or an invasion of privacy?

How well do you know your Nanny or Babysitter?

Investigation News - How well do you know your Nanny or Babysitter? - PInow.com Investigator Directory: "Babysitter and nanny checks can help you find the right caregiver for your child.

If you are hiring a nanny, au pair, babysitter, tutor, or child caregiver of any kind, you need to check carefully. The news is full of stories of children who have been abused, hurt, and even killed through the recklessness or instability of the adult who was entrusted to care for them. Sadly, behind each of these headlines is a real-life tragedy. You do not want this to happen to you, so if you rely on anyone to care for your child - whether for weeks or just a few hours, you should consider running a thorough nanny check or babysitter check.

Experts recommend that at the very least you check:

1) References. This means more than glancing at the names a caregiver has printed on their resume. Call each reference and ask very specific questions: How long have you known this person? How did you find this caregiver? Can you give some specific examples of what the caregiver did right? Can you give an example of something you were unpleased with? How long did this person care for your child or children? Would you hire this person again? Why do you no longer hire this person (if this is the case)? Remember: caregivers can ask friends and..."

Shocking! A routine background check can reveal identity theft

Investigation News - Shocking! A routine background check can reveal identity theft - PInow.com Investigator Directory: "If you’ve ever applied for job, volunteered, or applied for credit, chances are excellent that a routine background check has been run on you.

Despite the fact that most people have some form of background check run on them, very few people have an accurate idea of what a background check reveals about them. This is especially frightening since identity theft is on the rise. Many people only realize after they’ve been turned down for job or credit that their identity has been stolen and has been used by a criminal to steal or to perpetuate crime.

What can you do?

If you haven’t already considered running a full background check on yourself, it’s something you may want to think about. For a modest fee, you can hire a private investigator to run the standard type of pre-employment check, credit check, driving check, criminal check, and general background check that employers, landlords, and others can run on you. This can help you determine whether there are any errors on your records that need to be fixed and can help you find out whether someone has used your identity to perpetuate crime. Correcting mistakes and addressing identity theft before someone else runs a background check and finds..."

How to avoid identity theft

Quality control up to employers, not state

Journal Gazette | 05/30/2007 | Quality control up to employers, not state: "Indiana has few mechanisms in place to check the qualifications of security guards, relying instead on companies that do the hiring to perform background checks – a situation that some fear could put people in positions they’re not qualified to handle in a post-9/11 era.

“Theoretically, we’ve got a system in place to audit these folks and keep an eye on them, but it’s sort of like being audited by the IRS – yeah, it happens, but it’s certainly not something that’s going to make people sleep easy at night that these folks are actually trained and qualified to do what they’re doing,” said William Head, a senior lecturer at Indiana University’s Criminal Justice Department who teaches a private security class."

Idaho doesn't require background checks for security guards

Idaho doesn't require background checks for security guards | KTVB.COM | Boise, Idaho News, Weather, Sports & Traffic | IDAHO NEWS: "In Idaho, the state leaves it to cities and towns to decide whether to ensure security guards aren't on terrorism watch lists or haven't been convicted of crimes.

Idaho is one of about 10 states that doesn't regulate the private security industry, which in recent years has found itself increasingly called upon to guard against terrorist attacks.

Since Sept. 11, 2001, Idaho State Police has not submitted a single applicant for a security guard position to the FBI for background or fingerprint checks, according to Dawn Peck, manager of the Idaho State Police Bureau of Criminal Identification."

Rising Demands Jam Utah's Criminal Background Check Process

ksl.com - Rising Demands Jam Utah's Criminal Background Check Process: "Utah law requires security guards to be licensed by the state, but getting that approval increasingly takes more time.

The reason: Guards must get in line with employers, landlords, public agencies and other entities trying to ensure they're not getting tangled up with crooks. 'The sky's the limit in the post 9-11 world,' said Ed McConkie, director of Utah's Bureau of Criminal Identification, the state agency charged with conducting the checks. 'Everybody wants to know everything about everyone,' he said.

The bureau passed a milestone in November. 'We now get more criminal history requests from non-criminal entities,' McConkie said. 'It demonstrates the change in society's needs.'"

Gun bill targets mentally ill

KnoxNews: State: "A legislator who has been pushing to legalize the carrying of guns in state parks says he now wants to block the mentally ill from buying weapons.

'Right now, you can get out of a mental institution in the morning and buy a gun that afternoon,' said Rep. Frank Niceley, R-Strawberry Plains. 'I'm a so-called gun nut, and I think that's just wrong.'

But Sita Diehl, executive director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness in Tennessee, said that reporting records of mental illness to government officials as Niceley proposes is a misguided idea."

Indiana depends on security companies to police themselves

The Herald Bulletin - Indiana depends on security companies to police themselves: "Indiana has few mechanisms in place to check the qualifications of security guards, relying instead on companies that do the hiring to perform background checks — a situation that some fear could put people in positions they’re not qualified to handle in a post-9/11 era.

“Theoretically, we’ve got a system in place to audit these folks and keep an eye on them, but it’s sort of like being audited by the IRS — yeah, it happens, but it’s certainly not something that’s going to make people sleep easy at night that these folks are actually trained and qualified to do what they’re doing,” said William Head, a senior lecturer at Indiana University’s Criminal Justice Department who teaches a private security class."

Metro Schools not following own policy on employee background checks

The City Paper - Smart, Fast, Free: "Following the arrest and subsequent dismissal of a Metro high school teacher, school district officials want to take a closer look at their current policy on employee background checks.

Although Hunters Lane French teacher Ronald Huff had no arrests prior to being charged with disorderly conduct in February, the case alerted district officials to the fact that no background checks were being performed on existing employees, contrary to district policy.

Currently, the district policy regarding information on current employees states “the [School] Board assigns to the Director [of Schools] an ongoing duty to periodically implement background checks on existing employees.”"

Grandmas included in school check

Journal Gazette | 05/27/2007 | Grandmas included in school check: "Nancy Jenckes doesn’t seem like a dangerous woman.

In fact, it’s almost certainly safe to say that she isn’t dangerous at all.

But these days we have to document those things.

It seems that Jenckes has a grandchild in kindergarten in the Southwest Allen Schools, and that kindergarten was going on a field trip to the zoo."

Landlord with shady past receives federal aid

Daily Freeman - Landlord with shady past receives federal aid: "A Midtown landlord who is a prior felon, has past links to the Taliban and recently had 16 units in his Broadway apartment building condemned by the city received $14,300 from the Ulster County Department of Social Services to house welfare clients in 2006 and 2007.

And Social Services Commissioner Roberto Rodriguez said if tenants with leases want to continue to stay at the Broadmor Apartments, the department will continue to provide subsides to building owner Noorullah 'Ron' Zadran."

MSU defends screening move

News-Leader.com | Local News: "Missouri State University officials insist that a new criminal background check policy had nothing to do with the recent revelation that a faculty member was a registered sex offender.

But it now appears that when Michael Hendrix's name showed up on Greene County's sex offender list four years ago, it triggered a series of changes in the faculty applicant-screening process - culminating with a policy approved Thursday that requires screening all faculty job finalists."

Prospective teachers face scrutiny, but is it enough?

Pantagraph.com | News | Prospective teachers face scrutiny, but is it enough?: "For many students, the bond they have with a teacher is second only to the relationship they have with their parents.

When that bond is shattered because a teacher is accused of sexual abuse, the consequences can be devastating for educators, the children and their families — and no school district is immune.

In a 2002 U.S. Department of Education report, Carol Shakeshaft, a Hofstra University professor and the report’s author, estimated 15 percent of all students will be sexually abused during their school career. The nationally recognized expert on educator sexual misconduct said the statistics point to a troubling conclusion: Sexual abuse by teachers is not a rare occurrence."

Avoiding Hiring Employees that are Going to Cost you Money

Investigation News - Avoiding Hiring Employees that are Going to Cost you Money - PInow.com Investigator Directory: "The statistics are nothing short of daunting. According to the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, employee fraud cost the country more than $600 billion in 2003 alone. According to the Department of Commerce, one third of all workers steal from their employers. The same findings suggested that 68.6% of employees who steal do not have criminal records. According to the US Department of Commerce, more than 30% of all business failures can be attributed to bad hiring practices.

There is obviously a big problem when it comes to hiring. It is extremely difficult to separate the honest and effective employees from those potential employees who will end up driving your business into the ground. That’s not all: most employers agree that hiring time is a time of extreme stress, which just adds to the possibility of hiring mistakes. Most employers begin their employee search when they are short-handed and short on time, meaning that the resources needed to make careful decisions are simply not there. Most employers want to hire fast, which sometimes means just cursory looks at potential worker applications..."

What Can Employees Do?

Home Depot Rescreens Workers Sent Into Homes

Home Depot Rescreens Workers Sent Into Homes - News Story - WCVB Boston: "Home Depot is redoing background checks on 38,000 installers nationwide, after a Team 5 Investigates report exposed that the home improvement giant sent a convicted sex offender into a single woman's home to remodel her kitchen.

NewsCenter 5's Sean Kelly reported Friday that Home Depot executives first heard about Robert Clark after the Team 5 Investigation. Kelly traveled to Atlanta to update the progress of the screenings.

The case started months ago, when Home Depot sent Clark to Niki Lebrecque's home, even though he was not a licensed contractor. Court records show he has 'an extensive history of violent attacks.'"

Lessons from VA Tech shootings

Lessons from VA Tech shootings - 49abcnews.com: "The massacre at Virginia Tech shocked the world, but there were warning signs.

49 News has obtained a copy of the court order issued to Seung Hui Cho in December of 2005.

The very first page states that Cho 'is mentally ill and in need of hospitalization, and presents an imminent danger to self or others as a result of mental illness'

But despite that ruling, Cho was found to be a suitable candidate for 'court ordered out-patient treatment.'"

Criminals in the Classroom

Investigation News - Criminals in the Classroom - PInow.com Investigator Directory: "Every year images of teachers are plastered all over televisions and news stands and it’s not because they are being given some prestigious award.

In fact, it’s just the opposite. They are being accused of what many consider the worst crime in this country: sexual assault against a child.

Pamela Rogers, an elementary school teacher was charged with having sex with one of her 13 year old students. She was sentenced to 9 months in jail but was released in six months due to good behavior. However, she got into trouble again for violating her probation when she used the internet to contact the 13 year old boy and his family. She also sent him a home video of herself doing a striptease. When Rogers appeared in court on July 14, 2006, she told the judge., “I don’t know what I was thinking. It’s clear I wasn’t thinking. I was blinded by emotions that I’m ashamed that I had.” The judge sentenced her to seven years in prison for probation violation."

Domestic Investigations - When There is Trouble in the Home

Investigation News - Domestic Investigations - When There is Trouble in the Home - PInow.com Investigator Directory: "Domestic investigations are one of the most common reasons private investigators are hired, and they can give you the results you need to get real peace of mind.

According to statistics, private investigators spend the majority of their time working on domestic investigations. Despite this fact, investigators report that clients coming to them for help with domestic matters often are reluctant or are embarrassed to share personal problems. The truth is that there is no reason to be shy about seeking out a domestic investigator. Not only are many investigators very experienced in this type of case, but the results from domestic investigations can dramatically improve your life. Consider the types of investigations that can help you:

Infidelity and Divorce
Divorce investigations and infidelity investigations can help you determine whether your spouse or partner is unfaithful. With more than 85% of women, and 80% of men correct in their suspicions about their partner’s unfaithfulness, the truth is that if you have a sneaking suspicion, you may be right, and an investigator can tell you for sure. Rest assured that private investigators are very discreet about trailing unfaithful spouses."