Criminal checks urged for renters

Staff Writer

Pike UNITE is urging property owners within Pikeville city limits to help build a safer community by doing background checks on potential renters.

Pikeville City Commission has agreed to partner with the coalition, Pike UNITE Coordinator Amber Campbell reported to members last Thursday, “as long as no funding is needed.”

Since funding for Operation UNITE has been cut at the federal level, Pike UNITE and other community coalitions will have to rely on fundraising, Campbell said. This is how the coalition will pay for the vouchers, which will not cost land owners or potential tenants.

Pike UNITE will provide vouchers to property owners who rent to cover the $10 criminal background check fee at the Circuit Court Clerk’s Office. Property owners — about five people own 80 percent of rental property in Pikeville, according to UNITE Chairman Ken Trivette — can choose to participate in the pilot program called Safe Communities.

“We’re not telling them what to do, but asking them to make our community safer,” Trivette said, asserting the check could keep pedophiles, drug abusers and traffickers out.

This is a project UNITE hopes will work in other communities, Trivette said, adding, “If it works here, it will work other places.”

Pointing out the fact many people recovering from drug abuse often have a record, Sharon Yates, with the Westcare Homeless Shelter, asked about how this would affect those trying to start over when they tried to get housing in city limits. Trivette suggested those in human resource agencies working with those seeking to change their lives could possibly vouch for them.

Pike County Sheriff Charles “Fuzzy” Keesee said his department does a lot of background checks for public housing, which requires a background check, as regulations prevent public agencies from renting to anyone convicted of a felony charge.

“I don’t know how much public housing people pay attention to it,” Keesee said. “There’s places I know I’ve seen rent to people whose background checks wouldn’t allow it.”