Florida DCF Reviewing Background Check Process After Spokeman Arrested for Child Pornography
It would seem that the Florida Department of Children & Families has a nightmare on their hands. They hired a spokesman for the organization that was recently arrested on Child Pornography charges, as documented by the Orlando Sentinal in their article DCF reviewing background check policy after spokesman's arrest.
The state agency said that a background check was conducted and did not reveal conviction records from the state of Texas which focused on writing bad checks. They said if they had known about these records, it might have affected their decision to hire this individual. My guess is that the state didn't conduct a thorough check, however it could have been much worse. Based on this report, it doesn't seem to indicate that this individual had prior records related to sex crimes or child pornography.
The importance of conducting a county criminal record search in each county where the applicant has lived, worked or attended school cannot be understated. The article doesn't indicate that these offenses occurred in counties where the individual resided, but I think it's a safe assumption. If he didn't the state would be claiming the they conducted a thorough check and wouldn't be reevaluating their procedures.
The state agency said that a background check was conducted and did not reveal conviction records from the state of Texas which focused on writing bad checks. They said if they had known about these records, it might have affected their decision to hire this individual. My guess is that the state didn't conduct a thorough check, however it could have been much worse. Based on this report, it doesn't seem to indicate that this individual had prior records related to sex crimes or child pornography.
The importance of conducting a county criminal record search in each county where the applicant has lived, worked or attended school cannot be understated. The article doesn't indicate that these offenses occurred in counties where the individual resided, but I think it's a safe assumption. If he didn't the state would be claiming the they conducted a thorough check and wouldn't be reevaluating their procedures.
Labels: Articles, Background Checks in States, Newsworthy Items
posted by Nick Fishman @ 2:24 PM
1 Comments:
At February 5, 2008 9:20 AM ,
Anonymous said...
Update from Tampa, FL. They're reporting today that the spokesperson in question actually eluded the DCF's limited screening program as he was hired prior to the initiation of the program in late '06. Before then, they only screened for certain positions, evidently exempting the spokesperson position as one that warranted a screen. They now want to go back and screen all employees.
Zimmerman, the spokesperson in question, did have criminal records in two previous jurisdictions, which may or may not have shown up on a national fingerprint. He had a DUI in GA, and bad check passing in TX, where there is still an existing outstanding warrant. He was also arrested in Tampa, his prior jurisdiction of employment, for writing bad checks, charges which were later dropped upon his payment of the $433 fine.
The DCF is also now claiming Zimmerman escaped their existing policy of an employment verification upon his hiring. A good audit check on all new hires on the payroll to see if all screening scope elements had been, in fact, run would have prevented this oversight.
Steve Gonzalez, employeescreenIQ, Tampa
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