Special Background Check Package Pricing

Security at Church Special Negotiated Pricing
https://www.intellicorp.net/marketing/branding/securityatchurch/default.aspx

Woman Sentenced for Stealing $86K from Church - Church Embezzlement

From: Connect Mid Missouri

(AP) -- ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) -- A northwest Missouri woman is going to prison for stealing slightly more than $86,000 from a church where she worked...

Investigators said West stole the funds over a 16-month period starting in April 2011. She earned $27,000 a year at the church and spent the embezzled money for personal expenses.
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Security at Church: What can your church do to protect against a similar crime occurring at your facility?  

• Background Checks
• Security Cameras
• Two person rule to signing checks
• Financial Audits
• Enhanced procedures for processing offerings

Background Check Resource

In today’s world, the Church has experienced increasing physical opposition and hostility. These challenges are forcing Christian leaders to consider how to react in a biblical manner—fully embracing God’s sovereignty while simultaneously acknowledging and fulfilling their responsibilities as overseers. Because the local church must be faithful to meet together (Heb. 10:25), we must consider the wisdom of proper safety and security measures when assembling in today’s reality. (Statement from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary)

One way to accomplish this is to properly screen volunteers and employees who work at your facility. This is especially important for those who may be working with children. I have established a partnership with a company called IntelliCorp. After researching many of the background companies on the market I found that IntelliCorp offers one of the best products and the best price. Below is information about ItelliCorp and a listing of products that they offer. 

www.SecurityatChurch.com has set up a special program with IntelliCorp. For more information on products you can contact Alan Larkin Directly at 1-800-539-3717 ext. 109 or via web atwww.intellicorp.net 

Promotion Code: SAC001

Sovereign Grace Ministry Abuse Articles

From: The Washington Post

Suit accuses Sovereign Grace Ministries of covering up alleged child sexual abuse

A Montgomery County Circuit Court lawsuit accuses past and current leaders of a 100-church evangelical denomination of covering up sexual abuse of minors, forcing small children to “forgive” abusers and ostracizing families who wouldn’t hide the alleged crimes.

The lawsuit filed Friday adds more accusers and more accused to a complaint filed last fall against Sovereign Grace Ministries, a movement founded in the 1970s in Gaithersburg. Among those named now is co-founder Larry Tomczak, who was a key figure in the movement’s early years but split from it bitterly in the 1990s.


Read More: http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/lawsuit-accuses-neo-calvinist-church-movement-leaders-of-child-sexual-abuse/2013/01/14/6e671764-5e94-11e2-90a0-73c8343c6d61_story.html


From: WJLA ABC 7

Sovereign Grace: More allege church hid sex abuse

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - Five people have joined a Maryland lawsuit that claims a Kentucky-based evangelical church group covered up allegations of sexual abuse against children and failed to alert police and shield children from known sexual predators.

The new plaintiffs join three women who filed a civil lawsuit against Sovereign Grace Ministries in October. The suit accuses church leadership of encouraging parents of alleged victims to refrain from reporting abuses to police and creating "a culture in which sexual predators were protected from accountability and victims were silenced."

Read more: http://www.wjla.com/articles/2013/01/sovereign-grace-more-allege-church-hid-sex-abuse-84100.html#ixzz2IWoqpe2l

Original Blog Post on Internal Sovereign Grace Ministry Connect Website

Note: Please see previous post for explanation of below

Circa 2010

I noticed that there were some previous blog posts on “chops” regarding the topic of background checks. This is an important issue and good place to start this week’s security post. 

Many states require background checks for anyone who will be working with children. It is important for your church to have an application process for selecting and vetting individuals to work in children’s ministry. These laws normally always apply to both employees of the church, as well as, volunteers. Part of the application process should include a questionnaire regarding past criminal history. You want to be sensitive and provide an environment for this questionnaire to be private and confidential. Many people are ashamed of their sinful past. Even if they have turned from their sins, many still do not want to open up the door to the past issues of their former life. You want to respect there privacy; however, you also need to stress the importance of them being open and honest when it comes to the legal ramification of a criminal past. The Lord may have forgiven them; however, the many legal systems have not. Regardless of forgiveness and change some convicted crimes legally require disclosure.

The application and questionnaire should just be a starting point. As mentioned before many states require a background check to be conducted by both the state and the FBI to allow someone to work with children. This may sound like it is a big and confusing task. Do not be alarmed! It is easier than you think.

Some states will allow the person wishing to be checked to initiate the process on their own by going to the local or state police station. The police station will finger print them on the spot. Most of the time there is a preprinted card with a background questionnaire on the back of the form. This form is then sent into the state and for a small fee, normally paid by the person submitting the application. The state will return a full background check to the person noted on the form. Please be aware of an important detail related to how this normally works. Fingerprint background checks only investigate if a person has been convicted of a crime in the past. It will not give you a detail report of every incident they have been involved in. A fingerprint based background check also does not involve interviewing and questioning an applicant, their friends, relatives, or co-workers. This is simply a check to identify prior convictions of a crime. It is also critical to note that some jurisdictions only require a state level fingerprint background check. This means that if a person has committed a crime in another state it may not show up on the check. If your church is going to require a fingerprint background check than make sure that it also includes the National FBI check as well.

You might be tempted to think that this is a little overkill. In my opinion and professional judgment when it comes to protecting the children of our church, nothing is overkill. Would you be comfortable with a convicted felon watching your child?

We all want to protect our children; however, we should also want to protect those members of our church that do have a criminal past. Some members may still be on probation. The terms of their probation may limit them from certain activities. For example, many states restrict convicted felons from ever working with children. As a church we want to ensure that we do not have a member of our congregation volunteering to serve in a position that ultimately is causing them to break the law? We want to serve and protect them as well.

Many people have already posted other suggestions for companies that will conduct detailed background checks for you. All of these are great ideas. A fingerprint background check in just a start. Your goal should be to strive for your church to conduct full checks of all volunteering and employees working at your church, especially with children!!

Please feel free to comment on my posts, as well as, ask any security related question that your church is seeking answers to.

Helpful Link:

www.nsopw.gov

This site is the official national database for registered sex offenders. It is free to use and should be a start for all your searches. 

I thought you'd find this interesting...

This article is a couple of weeks old; however, is good news related to access to background records for searches.

From: Security Info Watch

Legislation supported by the Electronic Security Association that would give companies in the industry access to the FBI’s database for criminal background checks was recently approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee and will now go before the full senate.

The "Electronic Life Safety and Security Systems Federal Background Check Act" was actually approved as part of an amendment to another bill, the "Child Protection Improvements Act" (S. 645). According to John Chwat, director of government relations for ESA, the legislation simply secures permission from Congress and the Department of Justice to give ESA members in states that do not have licensing or federal background check requirements for security installers access to the FBI database. 

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Looking for a background check company? 

Contact, Alan Larkin Directly with Intellicorp at 1-800-539-3717 ext. 109 or via web at www.intellicorp.net  Promotion Code: "SAC001"

Background Checks Facts and Statistics

From: HR Screening Services

Background Checks Facts and Statistics 

1) Workplace Violence - According to the Justice Department, While working or on duty, U.S. residents experienced 1.7 million violent victimizations annually from 1993 to 1999 including 1.3 millionsimple assaults, 325,000 aggravated assaults, 36,500 rapes and sexual assaults, 70,000 robberies, and 900homicides. Workplace violence accounted for 18% of all violent crime between 1993 to 1999. 

2) Employee Theft - 33% of employees admit to stealing a product or money from jobs in the last three years. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce estimates dishonesty by employees costs 1%-2% of gross sales. It is estimated that 30% of business failures are directly related to employee theft.

3) Negligent Hiring Liability - Negligent Hiring damages may be awarded against an employer if an employee commits a criminal act and it is found that the Employer failed to perform a reasonable search into the employee's background prior to hiring. One of the most famous cases involved a company named Trusted Health who did not conduct a background check on a Nurse's aide who has six previous larceny convictions. The Aide fatally beat and stabbed one of the residents. Trusted Health was found liable for 26.5 million dollars for not performing a background check.

4) Lost productivity and training costs - The cost of hiring, training, and then terminating one employee can be very expensive. According to William M. Mercer, Inc., turnover costs a minimum of $10,000; 20% of respondents indicated turnover costs exceed $20,000.

5) Falsified employment applications and resumes - Applicants tend to stretch the truth. Our in-house statistics reveal that over 35% of the applications and resumes that we process reveal a distortion!

Click for Background Check Information

Church Institutes New Rules After Volunteer Arrested - Child Molestation

From: The Arizona Republic

{A few hundred concerned parents gathered Wednesday night after a Valley church youth volunteer was arrested on suspicion of child molestation.

The meeting at Highlands Church in Scottsdale was a way for parents to get details about the accusations directly from the detectives working on the case as well as to ask questions...

Now all volunteers - even parents - will be the subject of background checks. Previously, the church conducted checks only on volunteers who worked with children younger than sixth grade.}

Click For Full Article

My Thoughts: As you read this article you will notice that the volunteer did not have a prior record. This means that the background check would not have produced a result. Regardless of this, I think that the church is making a good decision to change their policy. 

Local Congregations and Background Checks

One of the hot topics on the website from 2011 has been background checks. One of the main reasons for this has been my belief on how important they are. I feel that they sever as both a deterrent and an accountability system for screening workers that will be around our children and working with our money. I found the below list today from the Dioceses of Texas. I thought that it served as a good check list when thinking about who should be checked. This is not an exhaustive list, but a good starting point...


Local congregations must do the checks for: 

1. All paid employees (full- and part-time) 

2. All nursery workers (paid or volunteer) 

3. Volunteers who regularly supervise youth activities 

4. Any volunteer who supervises an overnight youth event 

5. Camp counselors

6. Persons having financial responsibility, i.e., posting to ledgers, writing/signing checks are also required to have a credit check. (Requires Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) Disclosure and Release Form)

7. Persons transporting children will be required to have a driving records check.

NOTICE: All Sunday School and Vacation Bible School teachers, leaders, and directors will need to have background checks and Safeguarding God’s Children training.

Click for Background Check Information sponsored by securityatchurch.com 

Background Checks a Must for Southern Baptist Church Workers

From: The Journal of Southern Baptist Convention

"Recent statistics suggest that criminal background checks are a must for every children's and youth worker in every Southern Baptist church. And experts echo the warning...of the 450 churches that requested background checks, one in seven applicants for ministry positions were found to have a criminal history that may have disqualified them from volunteering or working in a particular role in a church...Bob Perkins, chief of campus police at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, in Louisville, Kentucky, and a veteran law enforcement official, said that while hidden criminal pasts may be less common in the church than the business world, all prior offenses should raise concern regarding potential ministry workers."
 

Click for Article

www.SecurityatChurch.com has set up a special program with IntelliCorp. For more information on products you can contact Alan Larkin Directly at 1-800-539-3717 ext. 109 or via web at www.intellicorp.net

11-year-old Girl Molested at Church

SALINAS, Calif. -- A church youth counselor pleaded guilty Thursday to molesting an 11-year-old girl at church, according to prosecutor Cristina Johnson.

Erick Mendoza, 21, of Salinas, pleaded guilty to two counts of forcible lewd acts on a child under 14. He will be sentenced on Sept. 9 to 12 years in prison.

Click for Article

Are you looking for a background check company? Check out IntelliCorp and see ow they can help your needs!

Catholic Bishop Mandates Fingerprinting of Volunteer's

"Anyone who volunteers in a Catholic parish in Las Vegas -- ranging from ushers to those who clean up litter at a church festival -- must be fingerprinted or they cannot volunteer, the bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Las Vegas has decreed."

"The Catholic Church has been rocked nationally and internationally by sex and child abuse scandals. And the policy was handed down to "further protect children" in local parishes, according to Rachel Wilkinson, of Rogich Communications, the public relations firm that represents the diocese."

Click for Article

Bishop Joseph Pepe, head of the local diocese and author of the policy is on the right track with this new policy. In fact this policy should be adopted by all churches across america, Catholic or Protestant!

I have been working with a company called ItelliCorp who offers a full range of Background Check Services. After researching many of the leading Background Check companies I found ItelliCorp to offer some of the best services for one of the best prices. You also have the privilege to work directly with Alan Larkin (Directly at 1-800-539-3717 ext. 109) who has been assigned to assist all www.securityatchurch.com blog readers.

Background checks will not stop crimes from occurring at your church; however, they do provide a tool to help you use wisdom in who you allow to serve in positions at your church or parish. 

Background Checks

In today’s world, the Church has experienced increasing physical opposition and hostility. These challenges are forcing Christian leaders to consider how to react in a biblical manner—fully embracing God’s sovereignty while simultaneously acknowledging and fulfilling their responsibilities as overseers. Because the local church must be faithful to meet together (Heb. 10:25), we must consider the wisdom of proper safety and security measures when assembling in today’s reality. (Statement from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary)

One way to accomplish this is to properly screen volunteers and employees who work at your facility. This is especially important for those who may be working with children. I have established a partnership with a company called IntelliCorp. After researching many of the background companies on the market I found that IntelliCorp offers one of the best products and the best price. Below is information about ItelliCorp and a listing of products that they offer. 

www.SecurityatChurch.com has set up a special program with IntelliCorp. For more information on products you can contact Alan Larkin Directly at 1-800-539-3717 ext. 109 or via web at www.intellicorp.net 

Promotion Code: S@C001

Below Statements are from IntelliCorp (www.IntelliCorp.Net)

Nonprofit organizations must use reasonable care in the selection of applicants and volunteers to avoid opening the door for potential liability lawsuits and legal damages. We provide screening services and solutions specifically designed to benefit your nonprofit — providing you with the necessary information to determine if an applicant best fits your organization.

Realizing no two nonprofits are alike, we work closely with your nonprofit to create a unique screening program which meets the needs of your organization regardless of size. The information we provide can reveal whether an applicant has been convicted of a crime or engaged in any inappropriate act or activity. We'll help your nonprofit reduce the likelihood of theft, misconduct, and violence — and keep your organization safe by mitigating negligent selection.

Service and Solutions for your nonprofit

Our services and solutions, offered individually or in package form, provide you with the tools you need to mitigate risk and keep your organization safe:

• Criminal Background Checks
• Sex Offender Registry
• Employment Verification
• Education Verification
• Social Security Number Verification
• Motor Vehicle Reports
• Drug Testing
• Volunteer Portal
• Candidate Direct
• Batch Processing

Background Checks

Since my blog post last week on background checks, I have received several emails from churches looking for more information on this topic. I also received an email from a company who I did not include on my original list. I did not leave them off intentionally it was just that I had not previously been aware of their services before. After several phone conversations and lots of research I have decided that I like this new company the best.

I am currently working with them to set up a program to help sponsor this blog! Information on the company will be forthcoming shortly. Stay tune for more!!

Here is a little teaser on some of the things that I like about this company!

~They offer three different tiers of screening and their system recommends which one will be best based on the locations that the person being checked has previously lived. (This can save you money)

~ Their searches start at $3.95 and only go up to $17.95

~Your individual sales representative is a Christian and has grown up in a church so he understands your needs.

~Company offers other services such as drug screening if your church, facility or local jurisdiction requires this.

~Unlimited local jurisdiction searches are available with top tier package. (This means that if a crime has not made it to a national database you can still be notified about it)

~Searches include pictures, when available. This helps to rule out people who may have the same name as a person with a criminal record. (This happens quite often. As a police officer I have had to use tattoo marking to rule out subjects who may have had a felony warrant)

Much more to come!

Background Check Companies

Below is a list of background check companies. This list was made possible by a friend who spent multiple hours researching different options from across the country. I have a spreadsheet which outlines and compares the differences of each company. If you are interested send me an email request at brian@securityatchurch.com and I will forward you the information.

Vista Int'l Research

Atlanta, Ga.

678-730-7300

www.virlive.com

LexisNexis Risk Solutions

Memphis, Tenn.

901-261-2786

www.risk.lexisnexis.com/nonprofit

Protect My Ministry

Lutz, Fla.

800-319-5581

www.protectmyministry.com

** As low as $8 if prepay $1,500. Unused prepay amount will roll over to next year.

Note: This is a faith-based ministry.

Kroll

Nashville, Tenn.

866-541-4024

www.baionline.net

Secure Search

Castle Rock, Colo.

866-891-1954

http://securesearchpro.com

On Target Screening, Inc.

Indianapolis, Ind.

888-423-0470

www.ontargetscreening.com

Note: This is a faith-based ministry.

Accurate Background

Lake Forest, Calif.

800-784-3911

www.accuratebackground.com

Accufax

Tulsa, Okla.

800-256-8898

www.accufax-us.com