Don’t put all your eggs in one database when it comes to background checks

In their editorial, Michigan Rep. Mike Rogers and California Rep. Adam B. Schiff stated that all volunteers and potential hires working in these types of positions should be screened through the FBI’s Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System. Rogers and Schiff described the FBI fingerprint database as “the most robust criminal background check [system] available” and wrote “a state background check alone is no match for the FBI’s fingerprint-based system.” However, a few weeks later, the National Association of Professional Background Screeners released its own editorial, praising Rogers and Schiff for their motive, but debunking the theory that the FBI’s database is a “gold standard” for background checks. In that piece, NAPBS Executive Director Melissa Sorenson clarifies that pop culture often muddies information about what the FBI database can actually provide. She writes that the FBI’s fingerprint database was not meant for use during employment screening, and that it lacks information on many major criminal infractions — as well as sex offender information — because counties are not always consistent about reporting that information to state police, and states lack consistency in federal reporting as well. Sorenson also says there is “no single source that provides all the information necessary for an accurate background screen.” FBI information may certainly be taken into consideration during the process, but legitimate background screening companies will always utilize multiple primary and secondary sources when conducting background checks to ensure information that is accurate and complete. This is why it’s important to utilize a background screening service such as Mind Your Business when you’re looking into a potential employee, tenant or caretaker’s history: just one database isn’t enough to provide a complete picture of the candidate’s background. To learn more about background checks and how MYB can give you peace of mind, contact us today.]]>