Criminal Background Checks

[ScoutNut]

National will be requiring background checks on those volunteers who have not had one done as of yet. The affected volunteers will have from June 1 - Aug 1, 2008, to consent to a background check and provide the necessary information (SSN). Anyone who does not consent, will loose their registration until they turn in a new BSA application.

 

This will cover all BSA units and LFL Explorer posts.

[GernBlansten]

I wonder what the motivation for this effort is? Response to a growing problem of criminals in the BSA ranks, or a fear of a loophole allowing criminal infiltration of BSA ranks.

[Gold Winger]

CYA in case a pederast tries to sneak in.

[GernBlansten]

Well that's obvious.

But why the push now? I thought they always did background checks. I guess it was just a scare crow, designed to scare away any convicts from even finishing the application. Kinda like companies verifying your references or diplomas. Few do.

[Stosh]

The way I read this is that BSA is going back and doing background checks on the scouters are now in place that haven't had one yet.

 

And yes, when I moved from ASM to SM of a different troop my 15 years as an ASM and 10 years as a CA didn't count for anything, I had to have a background check. They are taking this seriously and have for a number of years.

 

I'm a counselor for my church youth group and I needed a background check for that this year as well. And yes, they did that one too.

 

What this sounds like is that even if you've been in Scouting for 30 years and are in the same position, you are no longer grandfathered into the program and a background check will be done.

 

Stosh

[ScoutNut]

BSA started mandatory background checks, in 2003. This included a new membership application which asked for SSN and permission to run a background check.

 

People registered in the same position since 2003 or earlier, who have never filled out a new application, are the ones who BSA is looking at. Grandfathering is out, BSA is serious about doing it's best to keep it's youth safe.

 

From what I have read, letters will be sent out to all affected volunteers by June.

[Eamonn]

I'm 101% for everyone being checked.

However, I'm not very happy with the way the paper work is done.

In these days when identity theft seems to be on the rise, me giving someone with little or no training in any sort of security my SSN. Is a little worrying.

The amount of information that a unit might have on a volunteer is really worrisome.

Troopmaster has spaces for Date of birth, SSN,Drivers License,Employer.

Just think what a field day a crook could have with all that information?

The same information is now required on the adult application form.

Do we know how well this information is being looked after?

Who has access to it?

Where and how is it stored?

I'd sooner have an outside agency (The FBI? Or State Police?) Do the check and then I could provide the people who need to know that I have been checked with a notification that I passed the check.

Of course if I didn't, I would be asked to pack my bags and hit the road.

I really think this entire system needs to be looked at and changed.

Eamonn.

[evmori]

This should be done! It's amazing it hasn't been with any consistency.

[scoutldr]

Have to agree with Eamonn. BSA is one thing, but are most CO's aware that their volunteers are collecting this information on their behalf? That's a lot of liability. I once encouraged my former boss to enroll his son in Cubs. He went to school night, and when they insisted on him providing his SSN, he refused, took his son and left. At work we are drilled and trained about handling Privacy Act information and threatened with dismissal and jail time if we don't do it properly. Then we are asked to just hand over OUR information to anyone who asks? Just goes against the grain...

[evmori]

If you are going to sign up to work with kids why would you refuse to have a background check done? If you answer is ID theft, I'd bet there is something else.

 

Ed Mori

1 Peter 4:10

[scoutldr]

Nobody's refusing a background check. Just refusing to be stupid by handing out personal information to people who have no legal obligation to protect it.

[eisely]

Apparently this is an attempt to do background checks on all the scouters who were previously in the system who have never filled out an application since the checks began. Those of us who have changed registrations in the interval for one reason or another presumably will have complied.

 

There is no reason for local units to retain SSNs as far as I can tell. I make it a point to advise adult volunteeer applicants that the SSN is obliterated on the back copies of the application and goes forward only to the council.

 

I also get nervous about record keeping at our council. Almost every young man who has come up for Eagle has had to spend time working with our Advancement person and the council staff to reconcile and update his advancement records at the council office. Of course this is a different kind of problem than unauthorized disclosure.

[Stosh]

I remember the days when SS# was your driver's license number. There's a simple way to get around all the hassle. For those who are afraid of getting their identity stolen, get insurance. I don't drive my car without insurance. I don't have my fiances secure for my family without insurance, I have my home and possessions protected with insurance, as well as my health, so why not one's identify. Then every time you use your credit card, you expose yourself to theft. Lose your wallet? Routing # and account # on your check? Yep! If one thinks that giving one's SS# to the scout office is dangerous, look around, it would be like standing in the middle of a croc infested swamp of quick sand worrying about whether or not a hang nail is going to get infected.

 

Stosh

[Beavah]

Yah, I reckon the BSA background check is just a fig leaf, eh? Friends of mine in law enforcement and criminal law say they're quite easy to spoof. So folks, please don't rely on da BSA's checks for any level of safety. Follow YP, and stay sharp!

 

If da BSA were serious about it, they'd do fingerprint checks. No risk of havin' folks write down (and lose) a SSN. Much less ability to "fake." State police destroy the cards and don't keep records by law in most places. And that way yeh also don't get into investigatin' people's financial and credit history the way the BSA checks can.

 

One of the sadnesses of the BSA's rules has been that some law enforcement folks have been dropped from leadership positions because their employment rules prohibit release of SSN. Makes it too easy for a crook to retaliate against an officer.

 

No question that the checks are good PR, though.

 

Beavah

 

[ElyriaLeader]

I went to have my drivers license renewed, the clerk puts all this paperwork (that has my name, address, phone #, drivers license # and SSAN) up on a counter with no dividers between clerks and calls my name, this guy at the next clerk grabbed my paperwork and walked out, I asked where my paperwork was and she says "well I put it up there, if you don't have it you'll have to get me all the information so we can reprocess you" I got mad because I now had a large amount of my personal info literally walking the streets and these people didn't care! Luckily the person who grabbed the paper was honest and returned it to the BMV, I agree Eamonn, let an agency that is able to deal with personal info deal with this stuff and give us the results, I have nothing to hide, I've passed several FBI and other agency background checks for the military, but that doesn't mean I'm going to give my info to anybody that just asks either!