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Guardian Angels Missing Background Checks

The Guardian Angels have been a controversial civil watch group since their inception.    The Guardian Angels organize street patrols and attempt to prevent crime in neighborhoods where crime prevention could definitely use a helping hand.  Some people think the Guardian Angels may overextend themselves.   I think any volunteer group that is attempt to lower crime rates is doing good work.

But recently, a Davenport, Iowa Alderman invited the Guardian Angeles to patrol the city streets.  According to the Quad-City Times four of the Guardian Angels that were scheduled for street patrol had previous assault records.    The Guardian Angels typically conducts background checks on its volunteers and they must be cleared and vetted before being allow to join the organization.   However, I suppose in an effort to expedite matters the four men were allowed to graduate training, before their background checks had been returned and reviewed.

There is some concern that the background checks or the applications and consent forms for the background checks may have disappeared from the Guardian Angels’ office.   In any case, certain documents are missing and have yet to be found.    As for the background checks that have been returned, the Guardian Angels may accept members who were convicted only of misdemeanors.

In fairness to the Guardian Angels, there are more than a few public service agencies where the background checks fall between the cracks.   There are municipal law enforcement agencies that have hired police and support personnel with criminal records.   Sometimes the criminal records slip through the cracks, and sometimes the background checks are not reviewed carefully upon their return.    So for such an organization to miss searches, this is nothing new.

However,  the Guardian Angels are involved in sensitive operations.   The reputation of the organization is always at stake when one of its members acts inappropriately.   There can be unwarranted damages to persons and property.   There are liability issues.   So, as with the errant law enforcement agencies that were embarrassed when it was discovered they were hiring cops with criminal records, conduct a comprehensive background search.  And, above all, read the background check and vet the candidate, before putting him into the street.

That way the headlines you make are favorable to the organization.

By Gordon Basichis

Gordon Basichis is the Co-Founder of Corra Group, specializing in pre-employment background checks and corporate research. He has been a marketing and media executive and has worked in the entertainment industry, the financial, health care and technology sectors. He is the author of the best selling Beautiful Bad Girl, The Vicki Morgan Story, a non-fiction novel that helped define exotic sexuality in the late twentieth century. He is the author of the Constant Travellers and has recently completed a new book, The Guys Who Spied for China, dealing with Chinese Espionage in the United States. He has been a journalist for several newspapers and is a screenwriter and producer.

One reply on “Guardian Angels Missing Background Checks”

The Guardian Angels are a violent cult! Their cowardly and heinous assault on an Iraq War Veteran is just one of their vicious actions against the public. They illegally deny people their civil rights by detaining them and handcuffing they. Every loser, lowlife, dimwit, moron, halfwit, wannabe, nitwit, and thug joins the cult to gain some self esteem of which they have none! Now, Jim Jones cult leader Sliwa is stalking Candidate Andrew Cuomo! Like Travis Bickel in Taxi driver, he is a violent and derranged screwball! He so desperately wants publicity, he’ll do anything including his “Burger King” outfit. Is this what he calls “crimefighting”? Do you want these thugs on your city streets? They can errupt into violence at any minute! Pretty brave to break this War veteran’s arm in three places, after all it was only four to one! They savagely beat him to a pulp. Stop this violent cult now! go to http://www.therightperspective.org and join Operation No Angels. You’ll thank yourself and so will your family and friends!