Ohio firm to check background of rec personnel
Jackson Township Council moves forward on new law
BY DAVE BENJAMIN
Staff Writer

Jackson Township Council members are moving forward with a plan to have a background check conducted on all part-time and seasonal recreation personnel.

A resolution authorizing an agreement between Jackson and the National Center for Safety Initiatives (NCSI), Beachwood, Ohio, to perform the background checks has been approved by a 5-0 vote of council members.

The $12,000 contract covers only municipal recreation personnel who must undergo a background check.

Private sports leagues must also conduct background checks on volunteers who work with children. The leagues must pay for those background checks through a budget or through fees charged to participants.

Councilman Scott Martin said, "A couple of months ago we adopted an ordinance to re-quire background checks for all of the volunteers and coaches working with our children. Recently we had the opportunity of looking at some firms and we are happy to announce that we have selected NCSI" to make the background checks in Jackson.

"NCSI is a tremendous organization," Martin said. "Everyone we talked to said they did a great job."

Martin said he spoke with representatives of the West Windsor-Plainsboro Soccer Association, the National Football Foundation and the Marlboro Recreation Department.

"They all had wonderful things to say about this organization," Martin said. "The background checks have been put in place to make sure there will be no drug dealers, sex offenders or people like that ever having the opportunity of coming close to our children."

Martin thanked Mayor Mark Seda and his fellow council members for their time and interest in the matter.

Trish McGonnell, executive director of NCSI, said that in the past, "predators have gained access to our children because there has been no organized process for conducting background screening checks on volunteers, coaches, administrators and anyone who works with children. Organizational leaders and parents need to understand the magnitude of this issue and resolve to be part of the solution that results in a safer environment for our youth."

McGonnell said NCSI gives organizations that serve youngsters the tools and resources they need to properly screen all of their coaches, volunteers, leaders and employees using the most modern and secure advancements in technology available.

Matt Monroe, director of business development for NCSI, said, "Our program is being embraced by youth-servicing organizations everywhere as they make the commitment toward greater levels of safety in their programming."

He said NCSI offers national level screening using multiple databases which search all available state sex offender registries and terrorist databases. NCSI uses Social Security number identity and verification including previous address information, as well as county level searches.

Also available are searches from court records, motor vehicle records and credit reporting services.

McGonnell said this comprehensive approach will result in the safest possible environment for organizations that serve children.