State Officials Warn About Identity Theft

Last year, 500 people in New Hampshire complained they were victims of identity theft. Nationwide, there were an estimated 10,000,000 victims. Most of them don’t realize for at least a year their identity has been stolen. Others never can determine how their information was obtained. New York, where organized theft rings can easily prowl New England states. Now law enforcement officials and politicians say they are stepping up efforts to prosecute thieves and protect consumers. Read More

Parents demand background checks for coaches

Linda Fawkner is upset to hear that a football coach has been arrested for sexually assaulting a minor. It disturbs her that the Windsor Locks youth football league didn’t check his background. If they did it would have taken them just a few seconds to see that Derrick Gaither was already on probation for another sex crime in 1997. Read More

Report critical of hiring airport screeners without background checks

WASHINGTON - In a rush to hire workers, the Transportation Security Administration put thousands of screeners at the nation’s airports without required background checks, the Homeland Security Department’s inspector general said Friday. Eighty-five of those workers were convicted felons, later fired. Read More

Background checks becoming more common

Mid Michigan — (02/06/04)–Florida authorities say the suspect in the Carlie Brucia case, Joseph Smith, has a long record. What if someone like Smith already exists in your town? In some cases, the use of background checks could help prevent a similar situation. Read More

Background Checks Can Aid Families in Screening Help, But There Are Caveats

Wondering if your doctor has a clean record? Scared that your nanny has a shady past? Suspicious of the housekeeper? Background-screening companies have long helped large employers use criminal history and other checks to weed out undesirables, but now some firms are marketing to families. Consumer groups and background-searchers themselves say to know what you’re buying, and don’t rely too heavily on the report. Read More

Workplace violence grows out of escalating patterns of aggressive behavior that managers must be trained to recognize and stop. Read more…