April 1, 2003
Trenton,
NJ — Today, Mercer County Prosecutor Daniel G. Giaquinto presented a $10,000
check to Trenton Mayor Doug Palmer and Francis Blanco, director of Recreation,
Culture and Natural Resources. The
funds will be used to finance criminal record background checks on those seeking
employment or volunteer work with the Trenton Weed and Seed program, as now
mandated by federal regulation.
The
background checks are a portion of an innovative program entitled SCORE – Stop
Crimes & Offenses at Recreational Events – that was introduced by the
Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office in January 2001. The SCORE program was
designed to create a safe environment for Mercer County youth during sporting
and recreational activities.
“SCORE
is important to me, as both a prosecutor and a parent,” Giaquinto said.
“Every youth organization has the right to determine who will supervising its
children.”
The
SCORE program consists of three components.
The first element is the underwriting of criminal record background
checks on employees and volunteers who have supervisory, instructional or
teaching
interaction
with participating youth. All
Mercer County non-profit youth serving organizations are eligible to
participate, but must agree to 1) conduct criminal record background checks on
all supervisors; 2) be governed by N.J.S.A. 15A:3A-1 and any related
administrative regulations; and 3) exclude from program participation any
individual who refuses to comply with policy provisions.
“I’m
proud that so many volunteer organizations have taken advantage of this
program,” Giaquinto said. “In
the last two years, we have financed 900 background checks throughout the
county.”
The
$10,000 has already been deposited into the account of the New Jersey State
Police Records and Identification Section from the Prosecutor’s Forfeiture
Fund, and represents money seized and forfeited from drug dealers and criminal
enterprises. The NJSP is authorized by the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office
to debit the account for each criminal background check performed.
The
second component of SCORE is the approach the Mercer County Prosecutor’s
Office has taken in handling crimes and offenses that occur in and around
recreational events. As part of the program, municipal police departments were
directed to advise the prosecutor’s office of any indictable or disorderly
persons offense committed in or around an ongoing youth recreational event so
that the office can engender special treatment of the case.
These cases are prioritized and subject to limited, if any,
plea-bargaining. Cases involving
assaults or offenses against athletic officials, coaches or managers are dealt
with sternly.
The final component is an education and prevention program that consists of a partnership between the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office and volunteer youth athletic directors/coaches to form a speaker’s bureau. The speaker’s bureau is available to address youth leagues and parent groups about proper conduct at games with assistant prosecutors instructing on potential criminal and disorderly persons violations and possible penalties. For more information, call (609) 989-6315.