“Unfortunate” is how Eatonville Mayor Anthony Grant described his town not having — until this week — a written rule requiring criminal-background checks of prospective employees.
“Unbelievable” and “outrageous” seems more apt.
Really, Mr. Grant. Government’s a public trust. But how can residents trust government to serve and protect them if it’s not screening potential hires? With the exception of people applying for jobs in the police and finance departments, Eatonville applicants weren’t asked whether they’ve ever been convicted of a felony.
“Unfortunate?” That’s when a gaffe like this gets fixed so quickly there never was a chance for bad things to happen. But Eatonville’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” hiring practice resulted in many among its civilian work force having felony convictions.