Maurice River Township will require background checks for employees in the municipality. Maurice River Township is located in New Jersey. According to the article in the Cumberland County News, while the ordinance was introduced, it is not clear who would conduct the background checks and which employment candidates would require a background check.
It is good to see that more state and local government agencies and public service agencies are mandating background checks on their prospective employees. I have blogged about this a number of times, including an recent article entitled Dallas County to Run Background Checks on Constables. It is a sign of the times, and a great many state and municipal branches, school districts, and public service agencies are seeing the writing on the wall.
Unfortunately, more than a few have sen that writing on the wall only after they discovered someone they hired had a previous criminal record. Often that previous critical records concerned sexual offenders, and often that person had been hired to teach or work at a school or in a public service agency responsible for children. In fact, more than one legislative body or public service agency has been embarrassed when the person they hired has committed misdeeds while on the job. Then comes the review of that employee’s history, only to discover the past criminal records and assorted transgressions.
Perhaps there was a time when employers actually knew the people they were hiring, having shared proximity and various social relationships. But in many instances that time has long passed. People move around. Employees and quite often nurses and healthcare employees commit crimes and infractions in one state, the type of which that warrant disciplinary actions, only to move on to another state. Often their past infractions go undiscovered.
It is one thing for a state or public service agency to not run background checks. Stupid but somewhat understandable, given the budgetary constraints of a lousy economy. But it is quite another to actually order the background checks and then have no one review them, carefully. Or to order background checks and only to find they are slow in the turnaround process and supervisors forget to take a lot upon their return. It is dangerous and a waste of money.
So check them out before you hire. And then review the reports. Take advantage of what you paid for.
