[Ord. No. 2015-02]
Pursuant to P.L. 2003, c. 199 (N.J.S.A. 40:48-1.4), the Township
Administrator or his/her designee is authorized to request a criminal
history background check of any person for an official governmental
purpose including without limitation, employment, licensing, the procurement
of services, and leadership roles in any youth program.
[Ord. No. 2015-02]
Any person 18 years of age or older at the time of commencement
of a leadership role in any youth activity regardless of the capacity
(whether a volunteer director, coach, or an employee) for any program
that is (a) organized by the Township of Springfield; (b) sponsored
by the Springfield Recreation Department or Springfield Community
Pool; or (c) considered an independent youth recreation sports club
by the Township of Springfield, and that utilizes Township facilities,
must undergo a mandatory background record check. Each person shall
file an application for the criminal background check with the State
Police via its authorized vendor, submit to fingerprinting, and bear
any and all costs involved with obtaining the criminal background
check unless reimbursed by the Township of Springfield or a youth
recreation sports club.
[Ord. No. 2015-02]
The records which the Township Administrator or his/her designee is authorized to request and receive from an employee or volunteer shall be the criminal history record information from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Identification Section, and the State Police Bureau of Identification; provided, however, that in the case of youth program volunteers and employees, neither the entity coordinating the program, if the Township should employ such, nor the Township shall receive a copy of the detailed criminal record but will, instead receive from the State Police notification that the background check revealed information which would serve to disqualify the person who may then file an appeal pursuant to Section
24-10 hereof.
[Ord. No. 2015-02]
Pursuant to the provisions of N.J.S.A. 15A:3A-3, a person may
be disqualified from serving as an employee or volunteer of a youth-serving
organization if that person's criminal history record background
check reveals a conviction of any of the following crimes and offenses:
a. In New Jersey, any crime or disorderly persons offense:
1. Involving danger to the person, meaning those crimes and disorderly
persons offenses set forth in N.J.S.A. 2C:11-1 et seq., N.J.S.A. 2C:12-1
et seq., N.J.S.A. 2C:13-1 et seq., N.J.S.A. 2C:14-1 et seq. or N.J.S.A.
2C:15-1 et seq.;
2. Against the family, children or incompetents, meaning those crimes
and disorderly persons offenses set forth in N.J.S.A. 2C:24-1 et seq.;
3. Involving theft as set forth in chapter
20 of Title 2C of the New Jersey Statutes;
4. Involving any controlled dangerous substance analog as set forth in chapter
35 of Title 2C of the New Jersey Statutes except paragraph (4) of subsection
a of N.J.S.A. 2C:35-10.
b. In any other state or jurisdiction, conduct which, if committed in
New Jersey, would constitute any of the crimes or disorderly persons
offenses described in paragraph a of this subsection.
[Ord. No. 2015-02]
In order to obtain detailed criminal history record information,
the Township Administrator or his/her designee shall request that
the prospective employee or volunteer submit the required application,
fee, and fingerprint data to the State Bureau of Identification via
its authorized vendor. The State Bureau of Identification shall receive
all criminal history record information from the Federal Bureau of
Investigation, and shall disseminate that information directly to
the applicant.
[Ord. No. 2015-02]
Any person who has undergone a background check that meets the
same standards as those conducted by the State Police, through its
authorized vendor, who can provide proof of the background check and
results, is exempt from the requirements contained herein, until three
years have elapsed since the most current background check, so long
as the most current background check is within six months from the
date of their application in a comparable background check program
and further provided that it meets the threshold standards of the
program utilized by the Township of Springfield.
[Ord. No. 2015-02]
Each person who is required to submit to a background check
in accordance with this chapter must submit to a new criminal background
record check every three years if the person wishes to continue as
a volunteer or employee with the youth programs within the Township.
Background record checks subsequent to the initial one may or may
not involve fingerprinting.
[Ord. No. 2015-02]
Any celebrity guests will be allowed to participate in youth
programs within the Township as long as they are under the supervision
of an approved background check participant. Further, this section
does not apply to volunteers and employees of teams and/or organizations
that are not based in the Township of Springfield.
[Ord. No. 2015-02]
The Chief of Police or his designated representative shall work
with the Township Administrator, the Director of Recreation, or any
other organization in administering this program.