Special Reports

CBS4 Reviews Background Checks For Youth Coaches

MIAMI-DADE (CBS4) ― When your kids play sports in public parks, you want to know they're in safe hands. That's why there is a tough ordinance in place requiring all coaches and volunteers to go through criminal background checks. You'll be surprised by which group park employees say is ignoring the rules.

When they're on the field, in the heat of the game, the last thing kids and teens are thinking about are the backgrounds of the volunteers who coach them. But it's something most parents think about.

"If that's the rules and we got to go by the rules, do it," says football dad Carlton Moore.

Nearly a year ago, CBS4 News investigated the weak ordinance that had been in place for years, loosely requiring background checks, and then not enforcing who was fit to coach. After our investigation, Miami-Dade county commissioners strengthened the ordinance, called the Shannon Melendi Act.

The newer tougher ordinance requires all youth sports organizations who use county parks to run background checks on all coaches and volunteers. They must wear id's and provide the county with signed affidavits vowing no felons convicted in the last five years of a sexual, violent or drug-related crime are volunteering in the park.

The organizations also have to provide all background check documents to the county if requested.

And the parks department has an agreement with the organizations to turn in complete rosters including who is coaching before the season starts.

Commissioner Dennis Moss is executive director of the Richmond-Perrine Optimists Club.

"I voted for it because I thought it was the right thing to do," said Moss.

But sources tell CBS4 News the youth organization where Commissioner Moss works as executive director has been failing to follow both the old and the new ordinance.

According to sources, the Richmond/Perrine Optimists Club has not provided the required rosters or proof of background checks for the past three years.

CBS4 made formal requests for those records. All we received was a coach list for 2006, which was printed off the internet in 2007, and a list of football and cheerleading coaches for 2008. CBS4 sources tell us, this list was only compiled after we made our request, and it was filed late. Football season began the previous month.

Has your organization completed all the background checks required to complete under the Shannon Melendi Act?" asked Zea.

According to Moss, yes they have. Moss insists Pop Warner Football, a respected national organization, has done all the background checks since 2007.

And he showed CBS4 a letter written September 9th, 2008 from the president of Pop Warner vouching for it.

"They maintain the background check information and we can get that information upon request," said Moss.

But the county just received  that letter from Pop Warner, and they have no documents to show any checks were done in 2006.

And even if Pop Warner did the checks, they only handle football and cheerleading not the three other sports the club runs.

"Those coaches who coach basketball and baseball as I understand it are also coaching our football program," said Moss.

He added they turned in rosters, but the county doesn't have them so there's no way to prove or disprove they're all the same coaches.

So what do the people who head the county parks department have to say about this? After all, they are the ones charged with holding these sports groups accountable.

"We had asked them for a written compliance- that they did not provide for us- they gave it to me verbal," said George Parrado, Assistant Director of Parks.

Many parents want to know for sure all the coaches are being checked.

"I have to sit back and think about it, really if I even want my son to continue playing here, if they can't ensure the safety of our kids," admitted one concerned mother.

The office of Mayor Carlos Alvarez sent this information: "All necessary background screenings were conducted as required; however, the reporting to the county was inconsistent. Miami-Dade County has taken the necessary steps to correct the issue."

(© MMVIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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