Police Officer Preparation & Law Enforcement Resource - Archive

I'll just get to the point here. I got my 7th ticket for speeding today in my 9 years of driving. All the tickets were around 10-15 over and many were dropped to 5 over. I always wanted a law enforcement job, especially federal, but will these tickets dq me?

Good chance of it. If you got 7 tickets for speeding in 9 years, you are either extremely unlucky or don't have much regard for speed limits and traffic laws in general. We would look at it as sort of an overall lack of responsibility on your part that may well flow into other parts of your life. I can't speak for other departments though.

And to add, we lose a lot of officers who get into traffic wrecks, a couple of times a decade one is killed and it's almost always their driving that caused it. Not to mention many are sent off on disability because of wrecks.

It's probably not an automatic DQ with us, but it would be iffy even if everything else is sterling.

That many tickets would likely disqualify you at my department and at other departments in this area with which I am familiar.

If you got caught SEVEN times.....

1. How many times did you speed and not get caught ?

2. Why havn't you figured out that it isn't a good idea to speed ?

Yea I feel like a real idiot and deservedly so. I just hope that if I start driving better that this won't hurt me in the future.

Yea I feel like a real idiot and deservedly so. I just hope that if I start driving better that this won't hurt me in the future.

How old are you now? Because that will also be a determining factor. You're probably going to need about 5 years of ABSOLUTELY CLEAN DRIVING before you can even hope to start erasing your 7 speeding tickets in 9 years. The age will work against you because if you were well into your 20's (or more) while receiving these tickets, 1) they will not be dismissed as youthful transgressions as you're WELL into adulthood and are obviously making bad choices, and 2) after another 5 or more years (if you can even keep from getting another ticket in that time frame) you might grow too old to be eligible for Federal LE employment (cut off is hired before 35).

Either way, I believe your past bad decisions may have already hurt your future employment chances in Law Enforcement. ESPECIALLY if you have been making those decisions while you've "always wanted a law enforcement job."

Yea I feel like a real idiot and deservedly so. I just hope that if I start driving better that this won't hurt me in the future.

You "hope" you start driving better? Kid, driving is COMPLETELY within your control, and so far you have a record of not learning from your mistakes and bad judgement, something that will definitely work against you becoming a LEO (fed or otherwise).

Time to grow up or seek a career that expects less maturity.

Sorry I worded that wrong. I hope that when I do start driving better, which I will, that my dumb driving past doesn't kill my chances. I understand all of your comments and have taken them to heart. I only wish I would have grown up a bit sooner and realized that my actions on the road will have negative consequences... Thanks for the honest input guys

Sorry I worded that wrong. I hope that when I do start driving better, which I will, that my dumb driving past doesn't kill my chances.

Did you word this wrong? You should have been driving better along time ago, but definitely NOW! If your dumb driving isn't a killer your lack of maturity will be. Go to Plan B.

OK , about the wording thing.... you hope that WHEN you do start driving better....


So your " start driving better plan " isn't in effect yet ?

Your whole attitude towards this subject spoke and continues to speak volumes about you.

What kind of car do you have that you manage to get into trouble with ?

I drive a Ford Mustang.

My "drive better plan" is in effect and I have sincerely learned my lesson. I truly understand where you all are coming from and I am pretty sure that based on all your responses I should just hang it up and forget about it. I honestly didn't mean to offend, I just needed to hear some honest advice and you guys gave me a pretty hard wake up call. For what it's worth, thank you. After maybe five years or so, I may give it a shot after I have had a chance to prove myself a better driver.

I drive a Ford Mustang.

My "drive better plan" is in effect and I have sincerely learned my lesson. I truly understand where you all are coming from and I am pretty sure that based on all your responses I should just hang it up and forget about it. I honestly didn't mean to offend, I just needed to hear some honest advice and you guys gave me a pretty hard wake up call. For what it's worth, thank you. After maybe five years or so, I may give it a shot after I have had a chance to prove myself a better driver.

I'll give credit were it's due, your attitude in the reply above is mature and appropriate. Lesson learned: consequences can screw up your future plans sometimes, but give it a few years and your chances of working in this field may improve. You didn't kill anyone or administer methamphetamine to friends rectally, so it's not the end of the world. Develop a career Plan B, do several years of responsible living and driving, and then if you still have a passion to pursue policing and have kept your nose clean apply and give it a shot.

You didn't kill anyone or administer methamphetamine to friends rectally.

What kinda parties are they throwing in your neck of the woods?!

I drive a Ford Mustang.


They are obviously bogus tickets then. Everyone knows you can't speed in a Mustang.

They are obviously bogus tickets then. Everyone knows you can't speed in a Mustang.

Not so. They rule the School Zones. But of course the ticketing officer is usually from the bicycle squad.

/personally, I usually drive the speed limit but if I learned my "friends" were following me with a batch of that rectal amphetamine, my "safe and prudent" limit might be raised just a tad.
//I hope Kimble didn't learn about that at the academy during the drug paraphernalia recognition class. "K: Instructor Sir, that's a funny looking pipe or bong. How does it work? I: I'm glad you volunteered for the demonstration."

What kinda parties are they throwing in your neck of the woods?!

He IS from Alabama... :smilielol5:

Not so. They rule the School Zones. But of course the ticketing officer is usually from the bicycle squad.


Good point. Were you in a school zone by chance OP?

He IS from Alabama... :smilielol5:
Hey, Marine, anyone ever told ya you gotta a purtty mouth. :lol:

Mustang GT.

THAT and a right foot that is connected to a brain that likes to drive fast is your problem.

Get a 4 banger car that gets much better mileage and won't have near the ability to attract the attention of the Police.

Get a 4 banger car that gets much better mileage and won't have near the ability to attract the attention of the Police.

Then add a fartcan to try to make it sound like a weedwacker because nothing says power like the roar of a 2-cycle.