Police Officer Preparation & Law Enforcement Resource - Archive

Recently i took the NYPD exam and passed with a 89.440 Thats the good. While i've never been finger printed, arrested, convicted, or even seen the inside of a court room. When i was in High School i picked up the wrong jacket after getting breakfast with some people i went to school with (Big mistake). The jacket i picked up had a small pocket knife in it unknowingly to me i went to school and walked through the metal detector setting off the alarm and was searched and the knife was discovered. I was escorted into a room where school saferty and what i believe to be PD came in wrote a report and confiscated the knife from me. There was talk's about me being suspended, but fortunately for me i never got any type of punishment. Will this scenario DQ me or have any type of ill reflection of my character ?

As well as my driving record isn't to great. I'm up to what i believe is 9 point's but most the violations have occurred 2+ years ago...

PS i was also tested in 4th grade for special ed due to me being a hyper child so my teacher arranged to have me tested.. I wasnt enrolled into special ed.. I went thru the test and passed them they cleared me and said i was perfectly normal.. just a kid being a kid...

I'm nervous and eager to start my career in law enforcement any help will be greatly appreciated.

Soooo... if you find pot on some kid and he says its not his pants, will you believe him?

Apply man, go for it! If you are being honest with the knife thing I am sure you are fine. If not, the polygraph will uncover that I am sure. Hopefully you have a good background (Military or a degree) if not that makes your chances very slim. Every person I have spoke to left in the hiring process I am in have at least one or the other or even both. Worst thing to happen is you don't get it, then you go do whatever you can to make you a stronger candidate and apply again!

Apply man, go for it! If you are being honest with the knife thing I am sure you are fine. If not, the polygraph will uncover that I am sure. Hopefully you have a good background (Military or a degree) if not that makes your chances very slim. Every person I have spoke to left in the hiring process I am in have at least one or the other or even both. Worst thing to happen is you don't get it, then you go do whatever you can to make you a stronger candidate and apply again!

Everyone appreciates your positive attitude but you need to realize that we don't like to sugar coat things here. Additionally, many of us with the VERIFIED LEO tag sit on the interview panels, do the backgrounds and make hiring decisions. We know better. Additionally, you are in AZ and are not familiar with the process. You don't need a degree in the NYPD...nor military. It is 100% civil service. Additionally there is no poly.

To BrinksBoy...the kinfe is no big deal....but your driving records is....and in fact, you are a DQ on such. 11 points is a suspension. You better take a NY State approved defensive driving course yesterday and not get another single ticket. If you do, you are done on a driving DQ until you have 48 months from re-instatement.

As for the OP

Hey guys, new to this forum. I have a question about the NYPD backround check. I took the 8050, I just took the written psych the other day. I have been arrested a few times. Once when I was 12 for breaking into a candy concession stand i got a conditional discharge, in 2005 I got arrested for throwing an egg at a car and got disorderly conduct and criminal mischief, summons for trespassing that got dropped. I got arrested in 2006 for petite larceny that a former friend accused me of that was completely false and got dropped, and in 2006 I got arrested after I got pulled over and found that I had a ticket that was never paid for. All of these were fines and fees, and all as a minor under 17, I also have a few tickets and some moving violations, but nothing serious. After high school I changed my life and changed who I surrounded myself with and had not one problem with the the law since I went to college got married and just had my first child. A LEO has always been a dream of mine, but was a stupid kid with a LEO as a father and a Drug and Alcohol abuse counselor as a mother, who always try'd to get me on the right track. So my question is, do I have a SHOT, or am I just trying to chase false dreams?

This should probably be a new thread, but I guess it does fall under "nypd criminal background...."

Anytime someone starts off with "I've been arrested a few times" it's real bad news, LEO-employment wise. Once could be an exception or even mistake (assuming no conviction or plea) but more than that starts to form a pattern... either someone who puts themselves in bad situations (not good) or the really, really unlucky kind of person (also not good). I'm not sure any of those incidents is a DQ in and of itself, but you'd have a lot to make up for... a lot that other applicants don't have as baggage. If you have a good steady employment history and no other crimes since 2006 (driving violations CAN be an issue...) then it might not hurt to apply... but make sure you don't risk anything about your family or job to do so.