Smith County May Start Screening Job Applicants for Criminal Records
I find it interesting that county workers, who generally work in the public, are not currently screened for criminal records.
Smith County could soon start screening job applicants for criminal records, the Commissioners Court decided today.
The move came after two county employees were arrested last week, accused of using county road materials to fix private driveways for a fee. Both workers had criminal records.
Commissioner JoAnn Fleming asked Assistant District Attorney Stan Springerly to look into the state and federal non-discrimination laws to see if the county could tighten its hiring policies.
“We are all aware of what happened,” she said of last week’s arrests.
Springerley responded that nothing bars the county from checking criminal convictions of applicants and weighing criminal records when considering whether to hire a new employee “if it’s relevant.”
