You Wanna Background Check Me? Well, Be Careful Where You Look ...

With the economy in disarray, employers are finding themselves inundated with job applications.

Increasingly, employers have turned to the use of background reports, such as criminal history and credit records, to assist in narrowing the applicant pool to a manageable level. According to one 2009 survey, 93 percent of the 1,411 employers questioned reported that they conduct criminal records checks on job applicants. Approximately half of those employers reported that they also check applicants' credit histories.

And who can blame them?

For the nominal fee of a comprehensive background check, an employer can get: (1) a glimpse of the person that is not revealed in the employment application (i.e. fiscal prowess, propensity for trouble, driving ability); (2) a potential shield from negligent hiring or retention suits; and, (3) hopefully, a significant decrease in their loss, fraud, and productivity issues.

Unfortunately, these employers are also getting something they did not bargain for. In addition to finding out the nitty-gritty of job applicants' histories, employers are also finding themselves as defendants in large, unexpected discrimination lawsuits brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) as well as groups of private litigants.

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New Program Makes Background Checks Easier in Ohio

Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray recently announced that the state Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation (BCI) and the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) are teaming up to offer convenient, low-cost criminal background checks at local deputy registrar offices throughout the state. The program will use WebCheck, an electronic system that compares fingerprints and demographic data against state and national databases.

“More and more organizations and employers are finding these checks to be an invaluable safety tool,” Cordray said. “The range of Ohioans who must obtain these checks has become vast; from doctors to daycare teachers, from church volunteers to construction workers. Through our partnership with the Ohio BMV, people all across Ohio will be able to obtain a WebCheck close to home, at the lowest possible cost. And that cost will be consistent from one location to the next,” he added.

A state-level or BCI background check through BMV will cost $32, while a federal-level or FBI check will cost $34. Checks run through both databases will cost $61. BMV began offering the checks through more than 100 registrar offices in October, and anticipates adding more offices in the future. BCI used $300,000 in federal grant funding from the U.S. Department of Justice to train local deputy registrars and provide equipment.

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iPhone apps run background checks on your date

In a move that is sure to make playboys everywhere nervous, Internet company PeopleFinders has created two iPhone applications that let users perform background checks on their potential dates.

The apps, known as "Stud or Dud?" and "Are They Really Single?", utilize data culled from countless public records to give users a more complete picture of whom they're going out with. PeopleFinders President and COO Bryce Lane says his company collects data from "thousands of sources" across the country from "federal governments to the very smallest city governments." He says the company then uses algorithms to sort through the data and make comprehensive files that will give users a reliable picture of who the person is.

From there, the data is placed in PeopleFinders' database and is put up for sale. While both of the applications the company debuted today cost a mere $0.99 to download, users can only access records by either paying $9.95 per record or by paying an annual subscription fee of $24.95. In the case of "Stud or Dud?" users have the option of using simply by a person's first and last name, by their age and hometown, or by their phone number. From there, the program gives you a list of potential matches to choose from.

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Sarah Palin says McCain campaign made her pay for her background check

Sarah Palin says in her new book that after she and Sen. John McCain lost the 2008 presidential election, the campaign made her pay $50,000 to help cover the cost of vetting her for the Republican ticket.

In her memoir, "Going Rogue," she writes that in the months leading up to her resignation as Alaska governor in July of this year, her legal bills had mounted to more than $500,000. Part of that was incurred combating what she calls frivolous ethics complaints.

But what appeared to upset her most was that about $50,000 of the legal bills was her share of the expenses for being vetted to become McCain's running mate, Palin writes.

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Church Background Check Sample Shows 1 in 8 Volunteers Have Criminal Past

he results of a recent sample of criminal background checks on prospective church volunteers show the need for churches to remain on guard in protecting their congregations against workers with criminal pasts.

According to an article posted online at The Birmingham (AL) News, an agency that conducted 5,000 background checks for 450 churches found serious felonies in 80 cases and more than 600 people – almost 1 in 8 – that had some criminal history that may disqualify them from working at a church.

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Background Check on Authorities Not Always Enough

Police departments and sheriff’s offices say they routinely conduct thorough background checks on applicants before hiring new officers and deputies.

But sometimes that’s not enough.

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Philly Police Officer Accused of Running Background Check on Obama

Philadelphia police and apparently federal authorities are investigating an officer accused of attempting to run a criminal background check on President Obama, a FOX News affiliate has learned.

Sgt. Ray Evers confirmed that the police are investigating a 5-year veteran of the force but would not identify the officer.

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Beware of Employment Scams

As joblessness rises, so does the threat of scams. There are always greedy people ready to take advantage of those who are down on their luck.

“More families are becoming increasingly susceptible to suspect offers for employment as they try to find work in an extremely competitive job market,” said Mike Boynton, an Atlanta spokesman for the Better Business Bureau.

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Background Checks Drop 45 AL Youth Football Coaches

The city of Mobile has sent letters to 45 volunteer youth football coaches saying that they could no longer participate in city-run leagues because background checks found that they had criminal histories.

Several coaches decried the move Friday, saying it was another example of the city's overbearing behavior toward a group of volunteers who give up their time — and parts of their paycheck — to help inner-city children.

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Port Workers Affected By Background Check Delays

Delays in federal background checks and other newly-instituted screening procedures are leaving thousands of once-productive port workers jobless during the recession, according to a new report on port related employment conditions around the country.

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New Law Would Close Loophole in Federal Background Check Law and Protect Children

A person applying to be a summer camp counselor in New York could have been convicted of assault in Ohio or sexual abuse in Florida, and camp officials would have no way of knowing.

A loophole in federal law prevents camps, children's groups and other non-profits that work with children from accessing federal criminal background checks on new employees and volunteers.

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Montana Town Drops Password Requirements

A flood of criticism has prompted a Montana city to drop its request that government job applicants turn over their user names and passwords to Internet social networking and Web groups.

The city of Bozeman abruptly suspended the practice Friday, saying it "appears to have exceeded that which is acceptable to our community."

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Canadian Mistrial Over Juror Background Checks

A mistrial was declared in a Canadian homicide trial after the judge learned Ontario prosecutors had police run background checks on prospective jurors.

Two months into the first-degree murder trial of Richard Zoldi and Shane Huard in Windsor, Ontario, Superior Court Justice Bruce Thomas declared the mistrial Tuesday, the Windsor Star reported Wednesday.

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NY Governor to Consider Stricter Background Checks for Gun Licenses

Gov. David Paterson announced a package of legislation yesterday that would increase the state’s use of the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. The database is used to check the records of people applying for gun licenses.

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Background Screening Important to HR Process

Human capital is increasingly being acknowledged as the most important investment for any company. Finding the right talent in the right job at the right time is a humungous challenge that the HR teams are facing in the current hiring scenario.

With increasing connectivity, there is an advent of a truly global workforce, multi-location operations which has led to an exponential increase in the risks associated with candidate recruiting and contract staff/vendor hiring.

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CO Senate Eliminates Gun Background Checks for CCW Permit Holders

Sen. Greg Brophy, R-Dist. 1, said he was shocked HB 1180 passed out of the Democrat controlled House and Senate.

"I got 19 democrats in the senate and house combined to vote for this bill," said Brophy.

HB 1180 eliminates additional background checks for Colorado concealed weapon permit holders looking to purchase a gun.

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Classroom Discipline Bill Passes House

Governor Daniels' top non-economic priority in this legislative session is on its way to his desk.

The House has unanimously approved giving teachers qualified immunity from lawsuits for disciplining students, as long as they act reasonably and in good faith.

The bill also requires criminal background checks before teachers are hired, and creates a public database of teachers convicted of drug or sex crimes.

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Police Probe Unauthorized Background Checks

Lawrence police said they do not yet know why Mark Rivera, 32, a former special assistant to schools superintendent Wilfredo Laboy, did unauthorized background checks on hundreds of people using school computers."It's not illegal. However, if this information was disseminated, it could become illegal," said police Chief John Romero.

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College of Charleston Employee Background Checks

Two College of Charleston employees have been arrested in the past two months and the college is putting new measures in place to screen employees.

The College employs about 1,800 people in the Lowcountry. Before now, background checks have not been required for all its workers.

The recent arrest of two of its workers is prompting the college to change the way it screens potential employees.

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Schiff: Make Background Checks Reliable and Accessible

Representative Adam Schiff (D-CA) introduced legislation to create a nationally-accessible background check system for youth-serving organizations. The Child Protection Improvements Act of 2009, builds on a highly successful pilot program to ensure that youth serving groups such as Big Brothers, Big Sisters and Boys and Girls Clubs can perform quick, accurate, and affordable background checks on prospective volunteers or employees. The bill is being introduced with Reps. John Conyers (D-MI) and Mike Rogers (R-MI) as original cosponsors.

"We are fortunate to live in a country where millions of volunteers generously make time to participate in community service," said Schiff, a former national Board Member of Big Brothers and Big Sisters of America. "But with so many volunteers working with children we need to ensure that child predators are not preying on innocent children through the guise of volunteerism. Children´s safety is paramount, and we need to make certain that those working with our youth have been thoroughly and properly screened."

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Crooks With Toy Guns Still Look Deadly

The use of pellet, BB, airsoft and toy guns that look like real firearms in criminal activities appears to be on the rise, some law enforcement officials said.

Earlier this month, two officer-involved shooting incidents in the Sacramento region involved the use of such guns.

Experts, policy researchers and law enforcement officials The Bee interviewed said systematic data in recent years aren't available and little research has been done on the subject.

Read more at The Sacramento Bee.

Nebraska May Require Background Checks for Drivers of Children in State Care

Providing fingerprints and getting an extensive criminal background check could be a prerequisite for transporting kids and vulnerable adults under state care.

On Thursday, state Sen. Arnie Stuthman of Platte Center introduced a bill (LB290) to the Legislature that would require both of those who contract with the state to transport foster kids and vulnerable adults.

People who had felony records would not be able to drive for the state.

Read more at KCAU ABC 9.

VA Commision Splits on Ruling to Close Gun Show Loophole

The Virginia State Crime Commission on Tuesday declined to endorse closing the so-called gun show loophole in Virginia law, heightening uncertainty about the prospects of success in the General Assembly.

The deadlocked vote -- taken before a large crowd that included gun owners, at least one survivor of the Virginia Tech shootings and friends and relatives of other massacre victims -- highlighted an enduring split between country and city that transcends party affiliation in Virginia.

Two key commission members bucked their parties' habitual views of gun control measures. The commission's chairman, Del. David B. Albo (R-Fairfax), voted to recommend that the General Assembly close the loophole by requiring all gun buyers to undergo an electronic background check before any sale, including purchases at gun shows. But House Minority Leader Ward L. Armstrong (D-Henry), who noted the economic importance of an annual gun show in his economically depressed rural district, voted no.

Read the rest of the story at The Washington Post.

In the Internet Age, How Deep Should Someone Dig Before Hiring a PI?

Mary Kington once asked her daughter how to use the Internet to see if someone had served time in prison or had a criminal record.

Katrina Gregory steered her mother, a 56-year-old home-health caregiver from Worthington, to the searchable Web site of the Franklin County Municipal Court and the state prison system's online database of inmates and parolees.

Gregory, 26, said she never would have thought to tell her mother to dig deeper.

Incomplete Background Check Foils Bid to Open New Childcare Facility

The Pleasanton City Council Tuesday rejected for a second time a bid by a martial arts professional to operate a childcare facility for 20 children at a time in the Valley Business Park off Valley Avenue.

The council voted 4-1 to support Councilwoman Cindy McGovern who successfully sought to overturn the city Planning Commission's approval of the project on Nov. 12 and a subsequent recommendation that the council abide by that decision.

Read the rest of the story at the Pleasanton Weekly.