In a horrible report, news sources uncovered an arrest in Michigan of a volunteer basketball coach who is alleged to have video taped a young girl undressing inside her home. (See WNEM’s coverage of the story) This volunteer underwent a “background check” by the local school system, but their check, which comes directly from the State of Michigan failed to locate prior criminal convictions what would have prevented this man from being involved in this program. The State readily warns users of its database that criminal records may exist and not be included in their website.
As we have reported many times before, the background check and screening industry has become so saturated with cheap “instant” searches of incomplete and inaccurate public record sources that the public now believes that background checks in Michigan and elsewhere can be completed in seconds and cost a few dollars. Few things are farther from the truth. Instant background checks are not reliable.