PEA RIDGE — The new computer-based security program adopted by the school district here doesn't access the Arkansas Crime Information Center, although a text message to parents from Superintendent Mike Van Dyke states that the system does just that.
Hall Pass does scan identification through the national Sex Offender Registry. The security program cannot gain information through either the National Crime Information Center or ACIC, both of which are computer systems that are the exclusive purview of law enforcement to check on vehicle registration, driver's licenses, traffic history and records of arrests,according to Richard Faucett, an operations agent for ACIC.
Van Dyke and his son, Jason Van Dyke, regional vice president of R&D Sales Outsourcing LLC, which markets Hall Pass, both said Hall Pass was used recently to check the background of a potential school employee.
Informed that school officials were told that Hall Pass could pull ACIC information, Faucett said, "That's sort of impossible. If they have something set up at the Revenue Office to run out of a state computer system, they may pull something. But it cannot come from an ACIC computer."
Mark Mobley, president of CompuData, which produces Hall Pass, concurs with Faucett, explaining that public information similar to that found on ACIC is gathered for the Hall Pass database, but that non-law-enforcement personnel cannot access ACIC or NCIC.
"Background may not be a good word - we check if they have a record," Mobley said, explaining that arrestrecords are put into the database. "We don't do this for teachers or employees because the state does that. There are certain laws you have to adhere by."
Mobley, contacted Tuesday, said the company downloads accumulated public information from various law-enforcement agencies across the nation monthly. He said that information is put into a database. He said ACIC contains public information that can be accessed through other sources. Mobley said the company partners with Acxiom and Lexus Nexus, both of which do background investigations.
Hall Pass was approved by the Pea Ridge School Board at its Sept. 14 meeting retroactively to Aug. 10.
The message sent to parents Sept. 15 states: "Pea Ridge School District has implemented a higher degree of security in our schools. Hall Pass will be used at all campuses. You will be asked for an ID when you enter our schools through the offices.
"The ID can be a driver'slicense, military ID or a green card. The ID will be scanned into the Sex Offender Registry, Visitor Restrictions or possibly a National or Arkansas Crime Information Center. If cleared through Hall Pass, you will be given a time-sensitive badge to be worn during your visit to our schools. We appreciate your cooperation in our continued efforts to protect our most valuable assets, our children."
Entering any Pea Ridge school, visitors are asked for their identification. That ID, usually a driver's license, is swiped through a scanning device that checks the Sex Offender Registry. If the person clears, an identification badge is printed, and the visitor is allowed access to the school.
Pea Ridge schools are the first public schools in the state to use Hall Pass.
Superintendent Van Dyke said he would also like to use Hall Pass to keep time sheets on custodians.
Asked whether the schools are running IDs through ACIC, Superintendent Van Dyke said, "Yes."
Faucett, asked whether Hall Pass had a contract with ACIC, said: "No. We only let law enforcement have access to ACIC. Unless they're a police department, they don't have access to ACIC. I guarantee it's not coming through us."
When asked if any security program may contract with ACIC to use the computer system, he said "No."
Van Dyke said "visitor verification" is information manually entered into the Hall Pass system, such as when a restraining order has been issued against someone.
Using the Sex Offender Registry takes as little as 30 seconds, the superintendent said. "If you're going into their criminal history, it takes longer."
He said Hall Pass can check information through ACIC and NCIC.
"My understanding is that we can. : We've done it on one, someone who was seeking employment," Van Dyke said, adding that he has routinely had background checks run on people seeking employment,but it has taken a long time. "We have to do a State Police background check on people. That can take as long as three months."
He said using ACIC doesn't take as long.
"They can do that, yes," he said about Hall Pass checking backgrounds through ACIC.
Jason Van Dyke explained that Hall Pass "pulls information from ACIC. We have information from the ACIC database." Jason Van Dyke said he does not know how Hall Pass accesses ACIC.
Faucett said there are private agencies that check information through courthouses and other means, but that it is a criminal offense to use ACIC outside of law enforcement.
He said ACIC is connected to other states' law-enforcement agencies through Little Rock and through a special line to the FBI.
As for the Sex Offender Registry, he said that is completely separate and is public information. He reiterated that ACIC may only be accessed by law enforcement.
News, Pages 3 on 09/27/2009