[From my January 14 column in the Colchester Bulletin]
While I wholeheartedly believe that our neighborhoods and communities are not much more dangerous than when we grew up, there is no doubt that our awareness of and reaction to these real and perceived threats have transformed immensely. We can not turn on the news without hearing about the latest child abduction or abuse of an elderly person. This is entirely due to the culture of fear that has gripped our country, which is exploited by media outlets and national politicians – not that there isn’t enough to be worried about.
Along with this heightened sense of consciousness, however, have come many ways to combat these perils. We have developed numerous methods and tools for protecting our loved ones and those among us who are the most vulnerable. From national Amber Alerts to mass emails, there is no shortage of ways to spread vital information quickly when something terrible occurs.
The real trick, of course, is to prevent these tragedies before they happen. As they say, the best defense is a good offense.
One of the most valuable tools in community programming, such as that provided by our department, are background checks. By adequately researching their past, we are much more likely to ensure that the staff and volunteers working with our children, elderly and disabled are the types of people with whom we can feel safe.
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Our department currently employs many methods and levels of background checks, depending upon the situation and role that a particular person will play. Checks can range from simple state criminal history checks to full fingerprinting and cross referencing with FBI files. All sports leagues making use of town facilities are required to background check their coaches and volunteers. Even contractors being hired to do short term work on school grounds must submit to background checks.
Of course, there are many challenges and barriers in this process, from access to cost to timing. While local police departments have physical access to most of the data, it is illegal, for good reason, for them to peer into someone’s records unless they are conducting a criminal investigation.
Currently, all checks must go through the State Police, which can be an expensive endeavor. And with their backlog of work and decreasing staffing, it can typically take four to six weeks to get results. Once the results come back, there is no official standard outlining what types of infractions would prohibit someone from being accepted.
Our professional organization, the National Recreation and Park Association has been a leader in the effort to address this situation, developing national standards as well as potential solutions. They have drafted specific rules that define which violations should exclude someone from consideration. They have also brokered national contracts with private agencies that can perform many of these checks more quickly and cost effectively.
Based on participation in their national program, NRPA’s data shows that nearly ten percent of background checks in 2009 came back with some type of criminal record, with more than 3.5% actually being disqualified. Undoubtedly this is only a fraction compared to those who opted not to apply when they learned that a background check would be performed. Of course, all of this is proof of the value of performing these checks.
Closer to home, the Connecticut Recreation and Parks Association has been working with state legislators and government officials to examine various possibilities to allow local police to assist in this endeavor. With the support of organizations such as the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities and the Council of Small Towns, there is reason to believe that additional solutions may be possible.
One thing is certain, however: regardless of the challenges or costs, we will continue to perform the checks as appropriate, making use of any and all means at our disposal. Our staff and volunteers are our most precious resources and the safety of our community is worth the investment.
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