Criminal Census workers

[LuvOrlando]

OK, so mistakes happen. I get that, but what are they going to do about it? You can't have people with criminal records going around as officials with access to people's private info, access to people's homes which may have kids in them. I don't care about refining manuals, I think all these people need to be called back and re-screened. We have the time so there is no reason to not correct this blunder especially when the most vulnerable people in our population are the ones these workers are sent out to contact.



Criminals may have been hired for census
By Eric Zimmermann - 10/08/09 12:12 PM ET

Errors by Census Bureau employees may have resulted in 200 people with criminal records being hired to conduct door-to-door canvassing.

The Census Bureau typically takes fingerprints and performs background checks on workers hired to interact with the public. But a report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that tens of thousands of workers were improperly fingerprinted by bureau employees.

The GAO fears that the name-checks performed on those employees were not sufficient without fingerprints.

"It is possible that more than 200 people with unclassifiable prints had disqualifying criminal records but still worked and had contact with the public during address canvassing," Robert Goldenkoff of the GAO said in a report to a Senate subcommittee on Wednesday.

Goldenkoff cited the "adequacy of the bureau's training" as a reason for the improper fingerprints.

He said the bureau "will refine instruction manuals and provide remediation training on proper procedures" to prevent the problem from recurring.

 

[jensen]

They only come to your home if you don't send in your mailed census info... so, just make sure you send in your info if you're worried about a criminal coming to your home.

 

[LuvOrlando]

They aren't going to come to my house because I send my papers in, but since when am I only supposed to be worried about myself? This isn't about me but I do care about other people being put at risk. It's just not ok to send off non-cleared people who have official status into a trusting public.

 

[scrapquitler]

Do you really think that people with criminal records don't get ALL kinds of jobs with access to your personal information? I bet that there is somebody with a criminal record out there that you handed your credit card to in the last few weeks...or maybe who works in the billing department at the hospital you've been to, or in the DMV office, or your city hall, or or or....

Just because someone has a 'criminal record' doesn't mean he or she is an identity thief or a threat to the personal safety of you or the people around you. There are 'criminal records' for all kinds of things beyond violence and theft.

Sorry, but I think you are overreacting.

 

[LuvOrlando]

I happen to think there is a world of difference between a person slipping through the cracks and an organization creating a black hole into which anyone could jump. Worse yet is the fact that this organization decides it's fine and dandy to look the other way when they do find out about the offenses. The final slap in the face is that this particular organization is supposed to be working for me because my household's tax money pays its bills.

No I'm not over-reacting, I'm disgusted. How is it over-reacting to expect that the people who make the laws actually follow them? If it is the law that people who get these jobs are supposed to be cleared of a criminal past then every effort must be made to follow the law to the letter. Anything less is a disgrace.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Just because I am a retired (and reformed) ax murderer (who does not currently own an ax) is there any reason why I should not be allowed to work for the Census Bureau? Especially if I put that on my application.