Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem #09 - Discussion Itemt1O T.; Joseph R. Grassie City Manager Carlos C. Arau2 Assistant Director Department of Human Resources 2 February 1978 Attached Proposed Procedures for ackground Investigations I am attaching a memorandum outlining a proposed procedure designed to meet the City Commission's request that the City administration conduct a thorough background investigation of the final candidates for Department Head positions in the City of Miami. Mr. Krause and I have discussed some of the implications and problems involved in establishing this new procedure. One of the major problems we will face will be in the fact that a top candidate may take offense at our request that he or she be fingerprinted for the purpose of a Police background check. I discussed with Chief Klimkowski our proposed procedures and its limitations. He informs me that the Police Department's background check of an applicant for a Department Head position would have to be limited to a routine fingerprint check through the FBI computers. This is done by sending the name, birthdate, and set of fingerprints of our candidates through the computer system in order to ascertain if a candidate has an arrest record. Chief Klimkowski pointed out that the limitations of this type of a check are obvious: If we are given an incorrect or false name, or birthdate, the computer would report that. there is no arrest record for such a person. Chief Klimkowski and I also discussed other alternative background investigation methods, however we disregarded them because of the high cost of such methods. We also agreed that even with our new procedures, a case such as Frank Medera's could not be avoided. Our investigation in such a case would, at it's best, tell us that the candidate has been provided with an alias, and it would then become impossible for us to obtain any accurate previous information. It would then be an administrative decision of the City Manager as to the hiring of a candidate with such a background. If you have any questions, I would be glad to discuss them with you. CGA:vs Attachments r#4 ,4, - t Jr? Joseph R. Gtassie City Managet Robert D. Krause Director Department of Human Resources 4. February 2, 19/8 ProcedUres for Background Investigation of Applicants In response to the City Commission's Motion 78-720 the following is a proposed procedure to be followed in the screening and back- ground investigation of candidates for Department Head positions in the City of Miami: 1) Once the preliminary screening of applicants has been completed and a list of the most qualified candidates has been developed, a thorough check of the candidates' employment history, and references will be conducted by the senior personnel staff of the Department of Human Resources. 2) Once the decision has been narrowed down to the finalist, a background check using the candidate's fingerprints will be conducted by the Police Department, 3) The City Manager will be advised as to the results of the above background investigation. CITY o? MIAMI COMMIsstO 4 POLICY A policy Concerning background checks on candidates for des partment head positions in the City Of Miami To inure that all persons assuming department head positions in the city of Miami be qualified to hold such positions in that they have been subjected to a thorough investigation and that no evidence of criminal action or moral turpitude has been discovered. POLICY The Miami City Commission declares that it shall be the policy of the City that the City Manager, in selecting qualified people to be heads of departments, shall conduct a thorough investigation into the background of every final candidate for hiring into these positions. fly following this procedure, the City Commission can be assured that all reasonable efforts have been made to select candidates of the highest caliber.