Whether the guy strapping their kid into a carnival ride has a criminal past likely isn't on the minds of most parents as they chase their child from one amusement to another. And it shouldn't be.

Criminal background checks are a pretty standard part of the hiring process these days. So parents shouldn't have to worry about the histories of the mostly transient individuals who work at community fairs and church carnivals, which are both common and popular over the summer.But the fact is, the state law that mandates criminal background checks for employees and volunteers who work with children does not cover traveling carnivals and concession operators or their workers.As a result, wanted criminals and people with criminal records are landing jobs at carnivals. That's what we were told by a private investigator who performed criminal background checks at our request.Here are a couple of examples of what that legal loophole has led to:Two years ago, Bensalem police arrested a Tennessee woman working at the Neshaminy Mall Spring Fair after the owner reported missing money.In addition to the theft allegations, police discovered the woman was double-billing the credit cards of people buying ride tickets. Turned out the woman had a long criminal history that spanned 15 years and included convictions for theft, burglary, drug possession and assault.Also two years ago, police arrested a Florida man who was operating the Tilt-a-Whirl ride at the St. Mike's fair in Tullytown.The guy had struck and seriously injured another worker while driving a golf cart drunk on the fairgrounds. He had a history of 10 convictions for public intoxication; also, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and petty larceny.So, what gives? Why don't carnival workers fall under the mandates of the state's criminal background check law? We asked the state Department of Human Services, which has the responsibility of enforcing the law.According to Diana Fishlock, spokeswoman for the department, the background checks aren't necessary because children attending carnivals generally are under the supervision or guidance of their parents or other adults. As a result, carnival workers are believed not to have control of children. Nor do they have routine or direct contact with kids.We're not lawyers or public safety experts, but the Human Services standard sounds a little lax to us. Here's a standard officials there might consider, since they're in the business of serving humans, most critically, young humans: "Better safe than sorry!"We think that's a more reasoned and responsible standard. Hand it off to the legal department and let the lawyers add the "herewiths" and "heretofores." The state would then have a law that more adequately protects young carnivalgoers many unsupervised from criminals looking for prey.The Lebanon Daily News