Heads are still reeling in Dallas, TX after city employees failed to detect multiple problems with a new hire’s resume. That new hire, Antoine Flowers, went on to allegedly steal iPads worth $10,000 from the city before resigning in late January.

Now, nearly four months later, the city of Dallas is still trying to explain the chain of events that allowed Flowers to be hired.

The first time Flowers was employed at City Hall, he came as a temp worker from a local agency called DFW Technology. City Hall apparently assumed DFW Technology had done a background check on Flowers, an assumption which proved to have disastrous consequences later on. This just goes to show that businesses should always conduct their own background checks and employment verifications on prospective employees, temp workers, and contractors. Doing so is quick and easy with the help of backgroundchecks.com, which offers instant results through comprehensive criminal background check tools like US OneSEARCH.

To their credit, Dallas City Hall did intend to follow up on their new temp worker by subjecting him to a deep background check. Flowers avoided this check by simply not showing up for his appointment with the Dallas Police Department. This just goes to show that having guidelines for employment background checks is not enough. Businesses must also have safeguards in place to ensure that the guidelines are actually followed.

The next event in this botched hiring debacle occurred when Flowers was hired on full time as an IT Manager. At this point, an HR employee did attempt to run a background check on Flowers. However, when the background check failed to associate the Social Security Number that Flowers had provided with any known name or address, this HR employee apparently ignored the problem. Flowers’ background check was not properly escalated to an HR supervisor, and the IT hiring manager never saw it.

Had Dallas City Hall run an employment verification check on Flowers, they would have quickly eliminated him as a job candidate for the IT position before he had a chance to steal the iPads. Flowers claimed to have worked for NASA and held a top secret security clearance in the Army. A simple employment verification check from backgroundchecks.com would have revealed that these claims were totally false.

An education verification check would have proven that Flowers had not attended either of the colleges he listed on his resume. He had not earned an undergraduate degree from the University of Houston, nor was he enrolled in a Master’s program at Southern Methodist University.

The hiring manager in charge of reviewing Flowers’ application, a relatively new hire himself, claims he did not know that checking employment and education references was part of his job. Had the hiring manager been a little more proactive, he could have easily checked Flowers’ resume through backgroundchecks.com. It would have taken just a few days to run the education and employment verification checks, and he could have saved the city from $10,000 in employee theft and a lot of embarrassment.

Members of the Dallas City Council have requested that the City Auditor investigate this matter further to see exactly why existing background check procedures were not followed and red flags created by Flowers’ fake SSN were ignored.

About backgroundchecks.com

Founded during the Internet boom in 1999 by an executive in both the staffing and information industry, backgroundchecks.com – a founding member of the National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS®) – has been able to create a service that provides a blend of flexible screening programs that included instant, cost effective and comprehensive solutions. Our experience in database modeling of public records information has led Backgroundchecks.com to become the leader in the acquisition and delivery of public records information by harnessing the power and technology of the Internet. To learn more visit www.backgroundchecks.com.

Source: http://www.dallasnews.com/news/metro/20130405-series-of-failures-at-dallas-city-hall-led-to-it-manager-scandal.ece

Author: Michael Klazema

Lawmakers in Texas are voicing their complaints about the increased security measures when trying to attend a reception at the Governor’s Mansion. One lawmaker, Sylvester Turner, who is the chairman of a Texas Black Legislative Caucus, explained that he was stopped at the mansion and required to undergo a background check before entering. Other representatives voiced similar experiences even after showing their legislative ID cards. Many described the security procedures as offensive and heavy-handed. The reception itself attracted 200-300 people from around the state and world, most of which had already undergone a thorough background check prior to the conference. Although the majority of attendees who had already undergone criminal history checks were allowed in, lawmakers were not. Turner, the host of the event, had no choice but to submit to the check, however others, like Gidding, chose not to attend because of these stringent new policies.

Legislators called together a House Appropriation Committee hearing to ask more about the policy from DPS Director Steve McCraw. For many representatives, this new security measure is over the top. Before becoming a state official, everyone is required to undergo a background check. All lawmakers receive a Department of Public Safety issued ID that, in the past, granted them access of the Governor’s Mansion and also gave them access to the Capital Building. Now, everyone visiting the Governor’s mansion must undergo criminal history checks each time they visit the mansion, even if they had been previously cleared several days before their visit. According to DPS spokesman Tom Vinger, the policy is not a new one. In fact, it has been in effect for approximately ten years. It isn’t until recently that the Governor decided to enforce this policy at the recommendation of DPS.

McCraw assures lawmakers that there have been talks within DPS about changing the policy for legislators. He states, “Obviously there’s not a representative that poses a threat to anyone,” but currently, DPS is not making any exceptions to the rule. These stricter guidelines come in the wake of the suspected arson of the Governor’s Mansion back in 2008. The DPS is working to balance access and the mansion’s safety at the same time.

Despite these explanations, many representatives oppose this policy, wondering why security procedures at the Governor’s Mansion are more stringent than at the White House. For Giddings, these background checks make it appear that the DPS does not trust the state’s elected legislators to be around the governor. She says, “It appears to make those of us who have been cleared to operate in this building…suspect when we go into the governor’s mansion.” The committee is scheduling another hearing for more testimony on the issue. Until the policy is adjusted, lawmakers like Gidding and Turner are refusing to return to the Governor’s Mansion.

When a company needs background checks in an instant, such as in this case, they can use companies like backgroundchecks.com. Their 450 million criminal records across the nation are accessible in an instant with their US OneSEARCH tool. They can also use the similar US AliasSEARCH tool to check the same records under all known aliases. This way, even though background checks are required for every access into a building, the process can go as quickly and smoothly as possible.

About backgroundchecks.com -

backgroundchecks.com - a founding member of the National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS®) and cofounder of the Expungement Clearinghouse - serves thousands of customers nationwide, from small businesses to Fortune 100 companies by providing comprehensive screening services. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, with an Eastern Operations Center in Chapin, S.C., backgroundchecks.com is home to one of the largest online criminal conviction databases in the industry. For more information about backgroundchecks’ offerings, please visit www.backgroundchecks.com.

Source: http://news92fm.com/332344/security-background-checks-increased-at-governors-mansion-in-texas/

Author: Michael Klazema

Nanny Poppinz, a national nanny referral service, promises its customers that it makes the most thorough background checks on all of the nannies compared to others in the industry. Recent news though, indicates that these screenings are not as thorough as the company claims.

Naijean Bernard-Onwere recently hired a nanny from Nanny Poppinz in order to watch her son Donel for the night. Onwere had used Nanny Poppinz previously and liked the fact that they promised "the most thorough and sophisticated Nanny background checks in the industry." Unfortunately, their pre-employment screening somehow let one nanny with a criminal record slip through the cracks, Jana Bonds. Onwere hired Bonds to take care of her son for the night, but when she arrived home at 10:22pm on January 22nd, she found Bonds passed out on the floor and Donel laying on the hardwood floor with the baby gate at the top of the stairs wide open. The official police reports notes that Bonds showed signs of intoxication by alcohol and possibly the narcotic hydrocodone. Bonds was arrested and booked on charges of child endangerment and possession of a controlled substance.

Amber Mayhew, a representative of Nanny Poppinz, states that Bonds had passed the agency's background check. A cursory check on Bonds turned up two charges of driving while intoxicated. Bonds was convicted in 2009 and currently has an active warrant out for her arrest from a DWI arrest in Oklahoma from 2001. Further investigation into Bonds background turns up a criminal history involving drugs and alcohol that goes back 20 years. Records show Bonds pleaded guilty to charges of possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a controlled substance, and two DWIs in Oklahoma in the 1990s. In Austin, Bonds was arrested for DWI and put on probation. The probation was suspended as she committed numerous violations, including failure to complete DWI counseling and testing positive for cocaine.

The district attorney has declined to prosecute Bonds as he "did not believe the legal elements of the offense could be met in the abundance of caution,” and mentioned, “we will present the case to the Grand Jury and let them decide." A week ago, the grand jury declined to indict Bonds, and all charges of child endangerment will not be prosecuted. Neither Naijean nor the police officers on scene for the arrest were called to testify to the Grand Jury.

In Texas, nanny services are one of the few forms of child care that are not regulated. Nannies do not need to have a license or permit from any regulatory authority. While there are a handful of nanny agencies that perform background checks, there are times when some people fall through the cracks as Bonds did. The Texas Department of Family Protective Services argues that since nannies and babysitters are non-regulated forms of child-care, it is up to the parent to do the research and know who is watching their children.

If you own a childcare company of any kind, it’s important to use reputable, accurate, and thorough screening tools, such as those found with backgroundchecks.com. This way, you can access a nationwide database of over 450 million criminal records in an instant through their US One SEARCH tool. Also, you can use their Past Employment Verification tool to check previous employers’ records, which can clue you in on their reason for leaving. No matter which combination of tools you use, it’s also important to put childcare applicants through a rigorous interview process to make sure you’ve covered as many bases as you can. When it comes to the safety of children, you can never be too careful.

About backgroundchecks.com -

backgroundchecks.com - a founding member of the National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS®) and cofounder of the Expungement Clearinghouse - serves thousands of customers nationwide, from small businesses to Fortune 100 companies by providing comprehensive screening services. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, with an Eastern Operations Center in Chapin, S.C., backgroundchecks.com is home to one of the largest online criminal conviction databases in the industry. For more information about backgroundchecks’ offerings, please visit www.backgroundchecks.com.

Source: http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/investigations/nanny-with-criminal-past-cleared-background-check

Author: Michael Klazema

The owner of a vacuum cleaner franchise in Denton County, Texas stands accused of hiring a known felon who ended up allegedly stealing from a customer. Ernie Nowell owns the local Kirby vacuum distributorship, hired his relative, who remains unnamed, even though Nowell was fully aware of his criminal history which included drug and alcohol charges. Jamie Chadwell has accused the door-to-door salesman of entering her home with another salesperson and stealing jewelry while she was distracted during the demonstration. Chadwell later learned of the previous criminal history of the accused. She says she “trusted him” and “feel[s] angry” that the employer knew about his felony convictions.

Kirby, based out of Cleveland, says that all local distributors are required to perform background checks on their sales force when they are hired. Company executive Steve Baden, says that factory distributors are required to follow “reasonable measures” in ensuring the sales force doesn’t present “a threat” to customers. Kirby points out that it’s up to local distributors to hire salespeople, and the company isn’t directly involved in the hiring process. Nowell says that he has run his Kirby franchise for 43 years, and although he knew about the criminal past of his relative, he wanted to go ahead and give him a chance. Nowell says he was aware that he was violating corporate policy by hiring his relative. He states the relative has been in many “rehab programs” but isn’t “a threat to anybody.”

Nowell believes his relative is innocent, and says that he performs background checks on those that he hires, and hasn’t “done anything wrong.” However, according to Nowell, the accused employee was fired after the theft was reported. Consumer advocates are saying the case demonstrates how homeowners are mostly guessing if they should trust salespeople who come to their door, especially as they usually increase in the summertime. According to Dallas Better Business Bureau spokesperson Jeannette Kopko, there isn’t really a “great way” for homeowners to know who’s at their doors, and they are “stranger[s]” if they are uninvited. She said that nationally Kirby has a rating of B+ from the BBB. Chadwell said she will no longer open her door to traveling salespeople in the future, and has even posted a ‘no solicitation’ sign at her door.

Cases such as this are the reason some communities have required door-to-door solicitors to register and submit to background checks, as discussed in the recent article Arkansas City is Requiring Background Checks on All Solicitors . Make sure your business is in compliance of all background check requirements by using a reputable company like backgroundchecks.com. You can be assured you are getting the best and most thorough screening techniques available. With access to countless criminal databases nationwide they have many options available, several with instant results. Their US OneSEARCH gives you instant information from more than 430 million criminal records from counties, Department of Corrections (DOC), Administration of Courts (AOC) and State Sex Offender Registries covering 49 states plus Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and Guam. Also included are national and international terrorism sources, more than 11 million photos, and their proprietary database of previously completed reports. Or try their National Wants and Warrants search. This search will give results within one to two days, and is a nationwide search of local, county, state, and Federal extraditable warrants, and may include misdemeanors or felonies. Most law enforcement agencies contribute to this database.

About backgroundchecks.com -

backgroundchecks.com - a founding member of the National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS®) - serves thousands of customers nationwide, from small businesses to Fortune 100 companies by providing comprehensive screening services. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, with an Eastern Operations Center in Chapin, S.C., backgroundchecks.com is home to one of the largest online criminal conviction databases in the industry. For more information about backgroundchecks’ offerings, please visit www.backgroundchecks.com.

Source: http://www.khou.com/news/Company-sends-out-felon-as-traveling-salesman-162064395.html

A Houston area daycare center that was robbed by a suspected accomplice from inside the business has also been cited on several occasions for failure to perform background checks on staff members. The Stay and Play Child Care Center, located in north Harris County, Texas, was robbed while children were present and napping at the center. At the time of the incident the surveillance camera was not functioning, leaving no video evidence of the crime. The Harris County Sheriff’s Office believes there may be an inside accomplice, since the suspect specifically mentioned a gray cashbox. Spokesman for the sheriff’s office, Deputy Thomas Gilliland, says no suspects have been named.

According to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, the center has been cited 18 times between 2010 and 2011 for failing to conduct criminal background checks on its employees. However, Stay and Play director Betty McGirr states that at the time of application, all staff members are required to undergo background checks and submit fingerprints. Assistant director of the center, Cherry Bradley, states the center immediately complied with the request by the state licensing department by ordering background checks on its employees. Some employees quit before their checks were performed, and others were late in undergoing the checks.

Since the robbery, the center has fixed the malfunctioning camera system and is restoring door locks and an intercom system. According to McGirr, there were about 75 children inside the center at the time of the robbery. “I did what I had to do to get him out of there as fast as we could,” she said. Parent Sache Stephens dropped off her 3-year-old son about 10 minutes before the robbery took place. “Had something happened to my child, I don't know what I would've done,” she said. Although she believes the center is a safe place for her son, Stephens says she would have preferred to have been notified immediately after the incident occurred. When parents arrived later that day to pick up their children they were notified of the robbery, and given letters the following day explaining the center is safe for their children. Community activist Quanell X spoke out against the brazen robbery, and is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the solving of the case.

Stay and Play is not the only daycare center known to have previous issues with background checks , centers and businesses in charge of the safety of children need to be particularly aware of the importance of performing thorough checks on staff members. They would be better off using the services of a company like backgroundchecks.com. With access to countless criminal databases nationwide they provide several great options, many with instant results. Their USOneSEARCH includes information from 49 states (plus Washington D.C., Guam, and Puerto Rico) with photos. Or try their National Wants and Warrants search. This search will give results within one to two days, and is a nationwide search of local, county, state, and Federal extraditable warrants, and may include misdemeanors or felonies. Most law enforcement agencies contribute to this database. When you use a reputable company like backgroundchecks.com, you can rest assured you are doing everything you can to protect the safety of children and your business.

About backgroundchecks.com -

backgroundchecks.com - a founding member of the National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS®) - serves thousands of customers nationwide, from small businesses to Fortune 100 companies by providing comprehensive screening services. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, with an Eastern Operations Center in Chapin, S.C., backgroundchecks.com is home to one of the largest online criminal conviction databases in the industry. For more information about backgroundchecks’ offerings, please visit www.backgroundchecks.com.

Source: http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Quanell-X-activists-offer-reward-in-brazen-day-3583527.php

In recent months, two people with weapons charges against them, one with a felony forgery count and another who was convicted of running a identity theft ring were all volunteers for the Dallas county homeland security office and no one knew about their backgrounds because Dallas county does not run background checks on their volunteers. This lack of screening allowed convicted felons to work in areas of high sensitivity within county offices. What makes this even more troubling is that all of these volunteers were working as volunteer firefighters and had been serving since last fall.

County commissioners have been discussing this issue and are expected to vote on two background check policy changes within the coming days and weeks, one of them will be to perform background checks on county volunteers like those mentioned above. Though there are currently state laws that require background checks for those working in the county juvenile department, other departments are not yet required to background check their volunteers. If county commissioners have anything to say about it, this will likely change soon.

One thing that may stand in the way of these background checks is cost. It is unknown at this time how many volunteers currently work for the county, but it is estimated that the departments of juvenile and health and human services have about 1500 between the two of them. This number doesn’t even take into consideration the other county departments that employ volunteers. With an average cost of about $30 per background check, the county could have problems paying for them. Another problem that could arise is that county officials feel that the results of these background checks would force many volunteers to be terminated from their positions which could affect the day to day business of county offices.

On the flip side of all of this, some county officials offered that even if the background checks came back with extensive criminal backgrounds, these people should still be able to serve as volunteers. Most, however, do not agree with this stance. For the county of Dallas, hiring a third party processor like backgroundchecks.com, would be an efficient way to process these checks quickly and apply consistent adjudication standards in order to assure the safety of the county offices and the public visiting them.

About backgroundchecks.com -

backgroundchecks.com - a founding member of the National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS®) - serves thousands of customers nationwide, from small businesses to Fortune 100 companies by providing comprehensive screening services.  Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, with an Eastern Operations Center in Chapin, S.C., backgroundchecks.com is home to one of the largest online criminal conviction databases in the industry. For more information about backgroundchecks’ offerings, please visit www.backgroundchecks.com.

For more information about our authors click here.

Source: http://www.dallasnews.com/news/community-news/dallas/headlines/20120304-dallas-county-explores-expanding-background-checks-to-certain-volunteers.ece

Arlington, TX schools are using the latest technology to follow the nationwide trend of background checks in their school system.  This trend, of performing background checks on visitors to the schools, like volunteers or parents, has become high tech and instantaneous. The system that most schools use is simply to write down the name of a visitor on a sign-in sheet perhaps with the time they arrive and the time they leave. This is inadequate when it comes to keeping kids safe.

The schools in Arlington, TX will use a different system that is designed for the ultimate in safety and scanning. When a visitor enters a school in the Arlington district, their ID will be swiped into a system and their information will be instantly scanned against a nationwide database that holds criminal records.

Keeping children and other employees safe is important in a school and it is also important in companies nationwide. backgroundchecks.com provides integration options like these criminal searches to visitor management solution companies that want to embed instant search capabilities. Our US OneSEARCH can instantly search over 400 million records and it covers all of the US including Guam, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia. Using this product will keep employers informed of who they are hiring and will help keep other employees, clients and customers safe.

About backgroundchecks.com -

backgroundchecks.com - a founding member of the National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS®) - serves thousands of customers nationwide, from small businesses to Fortune 100 companies by providing comprehensive screening services.  Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, with an Eastern Operations Center in Chapin, S.C., backgroundchecks.com is home to one of the largest online criminal conviction databases in the industry. For more information about backgroundchecks’ offerings, please visit www.backgroundchecks.com.

Source- http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/AISD-Visitors-to-Be-Subjected-to-Background-Checks-138813319.html