Interested in becoming a Cop....

[William1987]

I'm looking for some incite and I was hoping someone out there would be able to shed some light on my currant situation. I am interested in becoming an officer, but I've had some legal trouble and I am unsure how this will affect me. Last April i was arrested for posession of cocaine. It wasn't on me, but on the person I was with. The lawyer told me that the only way to ensure 100% that this would not go on my recorded or that i would go to jail would be to enter the drug program the court offered me, it was called Drug Court. When I complete the program the charge would be dismissed. I have about 2 months left, and plan on making some big changes in my life when this is over. Im planning on joining the army reserves and after i return from boot camp applying to become an officer. I have some college, and plan on scoring high an the offiers exam. So my question is what can I expect?

Thank you

[Kimble]

Having a drug charge this recent is going to kill any application you put in anytime soon. Your conviction may get dismissed, but the arrest will still show on your record when law enforcement reviews it. I'm not saying you have no shot at ever becoming a cop, but you need to put some serious time (5-10 years for many departments) between this arrest and when you apply.

Army reserves is fine, but what exactly do you plan to do for full-time work? If you're interested in the military, I'd suggest doing a full-time stint. Guessing by your username, I'm assuming you're 20-21 years old, so you have plenty of time to put some responsible behavior and relevant work experience under your belt before applying to be a cop.

Look at becoming a cop as a goal to work towards, not something that will just be handed over to you when you're released from the drug program. If it's what you want to do, you've got to take the necessary steps to show (not just your words) that you've matured and grown past this incident. If going into the military on active duty isn't right for you, look for a career field for full-time work that will allow you to establish yourself as a mature professional, then put in the application with police agencies when you have a few years of responsible behavior and good work ethic to show for it.

[retdetsgt]

You were hanging around someone who was carrying coke? Doesn't sound to me like you've been putting in much groundwork towards going into law enforcement. If the possession charge didn't stop you, I suspect a background check of your associates will.

[DeltaV]

Sounds like there was more to the story than just hanging around someone who had some dope in their pocket. You don't get charged with constructive possession unless the dope was within your area of control as well and you had knowledge it was there. Obviously if your attorney told you to plea, he felt there was enough evidence to support a conviction.

Your arrest (regardless of the case's final disposition) is going to disqualify you almost everywhere. I'm familiar with drug court and how it's done here, and while it's true that there is no CONVICTION on your record, there still is a notation not only of the arrest, but that you went through drug court/pretrial intervention.

[lawduck]

You are who you hang out with, unfortunately.


Good luck and be squeaky clean for a few years.

Some time in the military might be just the thing for you.