Pima County taking forward steps with background checks

background checks – hopefully other counties and states will soon follow suit. The Pima County Board of Supervisors gave the county’s staff a unanimous go-ahead Tuesday to write an ordinance updating the background check policy, expanding which employees must be fingerprinted for criminal-records checks. The board must hold a public hearing on the proposed policy, which will likely be scheduled for next month, said County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry. Employees subject to fingerprinting and more intense background checks would be those who work with children, vulnerable adults, confidential health records and personal financial records. The new policy would also cover certain workers that the Department of Homeland Security has classified work in areas of “critical infrastructure.” The classification means some employees will need the fingerprint background check before they’ll be granted access to secure areas or detailed plans. “This is a matter of cleaning up the language in our ordinances but also recognizing the importance of infrastructure to all of us,” said Supervisor Richard Elías. An ordinance update is due and it will make the process more efficient, said Supervisor Sharon Bronson. It is rare that authorities are willing to take such steps due to the costs involved, so it is nice to see Pina County realizing the significance of background checks and the role they play in protecting members of society.]]>