Despite paying a top-notch company to conduct a thorough background check, a Florida based security company is shocked to learn that their recently hired door-to-door sales rep stands charged with raping and attempting to murder a potential customer in her home, while on duty. SecureWatch, an ADT authorized dealer, based their hiring decision for the offending sales rep on his background check, which revealed no criminal record. “There was nothing. The guy was as clean as a whistle,” Paul Victor, company COO said. “Then it turned out because of the level of access we had in our commercial background search, we didn’t see until I read in the paper that he had some juvenile offenses.” Because background-check companies don’t always have access to all criminal databases, the Electronic Security Association is urging the passage of federal legislation that would allow electronic security companies to search the FBI’s database to determine whether job applicants have a criminal record.
