Can I become a police officer with drug history?

[sti400hp]

I am considering becoming a policy officer in the near future but I have some drug history with minor drugs. In high school I smoked pot frequently, I did ecstasy 6 times over the course of a year and tried mushrooms twice. I did all this between the age of 16 to 20 and I haven't done any drugs since. I am now 28 years old. Will these mistakes keep me from become a policy officer?

I've been told that if I have smoke pot on a regular basis I will be automatically disqualified. The same person told me I'm better of saying I've only smoked pot a few times like 5 to 10. I don't want to lie but is seems like my only option in order to pursue my goal of becoming a policy officer. What should I do?

[marinepilot]

First off, I don't have any idea what a policy officer is, but it sounds like you have a much better chance at becoming one of them because you have ZERO chance at becoming a Law Enforcement Officer (or a police officer). Every agency I have ever heard of would DQ you not due to your marijuana use, which was quite a bit by your own admission, but because of the use of the other drugs such as extasy and shrooms. INSTANT DQ in almost every case, especially for hallucinogenics!!

The other problem you have is that you're even CONSIDERING lying about your background to get into this field!! If that is even an option in your brain, we don't want you in LE because you're a liar!! Also, that shows a definite lack of maturity which tells me you're not grown up enough to accept the responsibility of being in LE!! Our integrity is our bedrock in LE, and if lying is in your character, you don't have the required integrity.


Move on, make a new plan for your life, because LE is NOT in your future (unless you deal with us from the dark side)!!

[Gutwrench]

What should you do? Obviously tell the truth.

I have personal knowledge of officers who were hired with some hallucinogenic history and some who were passed over. All you can do is lay it out there and let them decide.

[mcsap]

Your drug use wasn't a mistake , it was an intentional choice. If it is dark and I leave the house with mismatched socks , THAT is a mistake. It was purely unintentional act. You can't say that.

We don't wan't or need people who are willing to lie to get the job. Would you want to go to a doctor who cheated and lied to get where he is today ?

[CPL1897]

Can a person become a Police Officer with drug history? YES..With your history I WISH I could say No, but Ive seen literally seen FELONS somehow LIE their way pass the inintial
BI be employed for year or so only to be arrested for their crimes or warrants etc..The BI isnt fool propf BUT I ASSURE YOU, if you lie IT WILL come out may take a while etc. but LIES always come back.... The weed not really a big deal if you were, say 16, shrooms maybe not so bad at 16 but Ecstacy combined with the others as many times as you admitted up to 20 years old, thats way past high school experimentation...Im gonna tell you that you have every right to TRY for LE, but I SERIOUSLY would not get your hopes up..Thats just being blunt.. Like previous said it wasnt a mistake, it was an intentional act of using drugs knowing they were illegal etc.

The reaponses you are going to get are not going to be what you wanted to hear, but you asked for us to tell you and thats what we are doing...

[retdetsgt]

If we ever find out you did ecstacy, you're history even if you have 5 years on by then.

[TEXASCOP]

Just the use of ecstasy one time would be a DQ in my neck of the woods. If you weren't wearing your hat when you did these drugs I don't think it counts.

[greg72982]

Your drug use wasn't a mistake , it was an intentional choice. If it is dark and I leave the house with mismatched socks , THAT is a mistake.

What if it was during the day though?

[retdetsgt]

What if it was during the day though?

I have a 10 year old granddaughter that does intentionally because she thinks it's funny and it ticks off her mother..... No mistake there.

[APDSarge]

We've gone over this topic quite a bit. Based on your admitted usage of marijuana going far beyond experimenting and use of hallucinogens you could not be hired as a police officer. Lying about your drug use to try to get through the background won't work.

Between the polygraph, and a half way decent background your drug use will come up.