Checks on burger van owners defended (From York Press)
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CRB checks on burger van owners defended
8:50am Friday 17th February 2012 in News
COUNCIL bosses in East Yorkshire have defended carrying out criminal background checks on burger van owners and ice-cream sellers.
Research by the Manifesto Club has revealed 490 councils in England and Wales spent more than £45 million on almost a million Criminal Record Bureau (CRB) checks in 2010/11 and claimed money was being wasted on unnecessary vetting procedures.
The group’s report highlighted measures taken by East Riding of Yorkshire Council – which staged 7,151 checks last year, including street traders such as ice-cream and fast food vans – as an example of “over-checking”. But the authority has said the fact such traders often operate near children meant their background had to be assessed.
North Yorkshire County Council had one of the highest levels of CRB checks last year, carrying out 17,344 – 1,712 more than in 2010/11 – while City of York Council performed 2,854 vetting procedures.
Paul Bellotti, the East Yorkshire authority’s head of housing and public protection, said: “Basic CRB checks cost £25 for street traders and were introduced following consultation with traders. Street traders, including ice-cream sales vans, operate from a variety of locations, often close to schools and colleges. The checks are a preventative measure, as not only do they safeguard children and vulnerable adults, but they also increase public confidence. Genuine street traders should be happy with the council’s approach to seek a CRB because it deters those people with a criminal history from applying for a street trader licence.”
Comments(10)
ISeeEverything
says...
10:23am Fri 17 Feb 12
Mentos
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11:25am Fri 17 Feb 12
Guy Fawkes
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11:33am Fri 17 Feb 12
Seriously, the other aspect that strikes me here is that these businesses receive almost all their takings in cash, thus making them ideal money laundering fronts. I guess that does make a case for regulating them, at least to a limited extent.
Pete the Brickie
says...
2:17pm Fri 17 Feb 12
But the authority has said the fact such traders often operate near children meant their background had to be assessed.
The checks are a preventative measure, as not only do they safeguard children and vulnerable adults, but they also increase public confidence.
The above two statements are typical examples of council speak, a language learnt on courses by people earning upward of 30k PA who have long job titles, poor dress sense, still live with their mothers thirty years after finishing uni and work for local authorities.
Whilst I wouldn't paricularly want Master Brickie to buy a hot dog from a sex offender or serious crimminal I'm quite prepared to take my chances on the basis that it's pretty unlikely and in any case CRB checks only highlight those who've been caught and haven't been given a new identity and round the clock police protection.
I'm also not sure when it became part of the council's remit to check the record of those who "often operate near schools" as opposed to those who actually do work in premises run by them containing children. I imagine this came about whist they were overpaid and overstaffed by the last government and needed extra things to do.
Luckily now because of the cuts instead of stopping meals on wheels and laying off carers they can make savings instead by stopping this nonsense and concentrate on checking the food hygiene aspect of such vendors, as if they did a "risk assesment" they'd discover catching salmonella carries a far greater risk of death than buying an ice cream from a spotty youth who stole a kit kat from the Spar Shop when he was twelve.
mickrick
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2:50pm Fri 17 Feb 12
Pete the Brickie
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3:35pm Fri 17 Feb 12
mickrick wrote:Lol, yes If I ever got round to building walls I'm sure some of them would be in sight of council premises containing young adults.
I walk past 2 schools every day ?????
hula
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4:38pm Fri 17 Feb 12
Woody Mellor
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5:49pm Fri 17 Feb 12
York1900
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2:50am Sat 18 Feb 12
roskoboskovic says...
9:53am Fri 17 Feb 12