Another "Do I have a chance".. (sorry kinda long)

[flyboy07]

I'm new to this site but I have found a lot of helpful information. I will try and give you all a little overview of myself and please let me know whether or not I have a chance!

I will have a 4 year degree by December of 2011, with a 200 hour internship with a local agency, and also have MN Skills academy completed at the end of this summer. I work at a community correctional facility and used to be a reserve for a county sheriffs department for little less the 2 years.

Here is the problem..

When I was working for my uncle when I was 16 or 17 (21 now) we were in someones house doing drywalling/painting. My cousin noticed that the house was really messy and figured that the home owners wouldn't notice the Ipod and gift card missing from one of the shelves. He convinced me to take them.. needless to say they noticed.. The police were never notified, I apologized to the home owner, compensated for the stolen merchandise and also reimbursed him for his time. I resigned working for my uncle and took all the heat for my cousin..

Just last year when I was 20 I was working as a sheriff reserve going on two years. (I LOVED IT!) I had made frequent stops at my cousins house (off duty) just to say hi, because he was family, unfortunately I had left a document from the reserve unit laying on his table. (it was in a bag of mine and must have came out with other papers) I was unaware that he was taking part in burglary and theft.. Someone had turned him in and his house was searched which turned up stolen property as well as my reserve paperwork. The police believed I was involved somehow because my paperwork was there. They called me but I was hours away at school, I told them that I would have no problems talking to them as long as I had some sort of council (because thats what I have always been told to do through my education) I left them a call back number and stated that if they needed anything else to please call me. I haven't heard from them since! They terminated me from the reserves under, "Possible implications into a criminal matter". My cousin was facing 5 years prison time, but the investigators said that if he told them I was involved they would lower his sentence, he took the deal and told them I was involved.. He got his lowered sentence and they never contacted me.. I didn't know the activity he was taking part in nor did I take part in it myself. The whole issue has torn my family apart and so I assume some family members may not think highly of each other anymore..

I have never done a single drug in my entire life and I have no alcohol charges. I was also given a ticket for curfew when I was 16 over homecoming week. I have one speeding ticket.

If I disclose all of this during my BI, do I have a chance of achieving my dream as a cop?

[BJJVad]

I resigned working for my uncle and took all the heat for my cousin..

I find your whole story questionable based on the way you answered the above. If you are asking me, I wouldn't hire you. You have integrity issues..

[pac201]

No. Period. End of discussion.

[flyboy07]

I never covered it up for him if thats how it sounds. It was an undetected crime, cops were never involved, i'd have to disclose it as an undetected crime right?

He worked for his dad, so he didn't get in trouble, I did. I didn't mean I took the heat to cover him persuading me to take it. I was young and stupid at 16 and had no idea I wanted to go into LE. It was a life changing situation and I haven't done anything since.

I have never been charged or convicted of any crime other then the curfew ticket.

[BJJVad]

I never covered it up for him if thats how it sounds.

Again no.. You were asked to take part in a crime. Whether they decided to press charges or not, you decided to help your cousin commit a theft. You had the ability to say, "no".

..and still you act as if it ain't no big deal.. As if it was all his fault.. You take no responsibilities for your actions. Which would also leed me to believe that investigation you were under was probably on, or near the mark.

[Gutwrench]

Fly,

Here is my answer based on my experiences.

Every dept pretty much sets their own hiring standards, but most are very similar.

The depts I've worked for were not looking for people with perfect squeaky clean records as those people rarely exist and the bigger reason is that squeaky clean people often don't have the life experience that helps to form common sense. Common sense is probably one of the important traits of a solid officer.

Candidates with a history of bad judgment are swimming an upstream battle as judgment is another critical job trait. But many mistakes can be minimized and neutralized by the passing of time. The more severe of mistake requires more time usually years. This way a dept can see that a candidate has rehabilitated the aspect of his or her life in question.

Don't misunderstand me, some mistakes may never be overlooked by a dept. You don't get a second chance to walk in front of a train. Choose your direction carefully because even as a teen you can change the course of your life.

If you want a career in LE then work towards it on a daily basis. Apply with depts and see what they say. Be prepared to wait longer or to change your career path.

Good luck.

[Switchback]

Even if you are as pure as the driven snow and this is all a series of unfortunate coincidences, NO WAY. You see, there are a ton of candidates out there that don't have this suspicious baggage for the departments to go through, so why would they bother. It's a very competitive field and they (those doing the hiring) have their pick of many exceptionally qualified candidates with NO BAGGAGE.

Start looking for other options.

[flyboy07]

So I have made a couple mistakes as a juvenile but since then I have made some drastic life changes, I have moved away from the problems and work everyday to make things better. I am now working at a community correctional facility and working towards my education. I am also looking at volunteering and giving back to the community. Make up for the bad decisions I made as a juvenile, they were wrong, I admit them and I'll forever regret them.

My question is, if I know a family friend, who is a police officer, but I have heard from a family member that he has a drug habit and has on occasion actually stole from his department.

I admit to the mistakes I made as a juvenile, and I have changed my entire life thinking, so I can pursue being a LE officer. It hurts to know that there are officers out there that commit such acts and I was wondering, being I have to list him as a LE officer that I know due to the fact he used to be a family friend. Would it look bad having him as an officer I know? Or like I'm stabbing him in the back if I were to report the actions? Or if I reported it and the department doesn't find any proof. Will it hurt me, should I keep my mouth shut and let that department worry about it on their own?

Thank you for your help!

[GoDirectly2Jail]

I'm new to this site but I have found a lot of helpful information. I will try and give you all a little overview of myself and please let me know whether or not I have a chance!

I will have a 4 year degree by December of 2011, with a 200 hour internship with a local agency, and also have MN Skills academy completed at the end of this summer. I work at a community correctional facility and used to be a reserve for a county sheriffs department for little less the 2 years.

Here is the problem..

When I was working for my uncle when I was 16 or 17 (21 now) we were in someones house doing drywalling/painting. My cousin noticed that the house was really messy and figured that the home owners wouldn't notice the Ipod and gift card missing from one of the shelves. He convinced me to take them.. needless to say they noticed.. The police were never notified, I apologized to the home owner, compensated for the stolen merchandise and also reimbursed him for his time. I resigned working for my uncle and took all the heat for my cousin..

Just last year when I was 20 I was working as a sheriff reserve going on two years. (I LOVED IT!) I had made frequent stops at my cousins house (off duty) just to say hi, because he was family, unfortunately I had left a document from the reserve unit laying on his table. (it was in a bag of mine and must have came out with other papers) I was unaware that he was taking part in burglary and theft.. Someone had turned him in and his house was searched which turned up stolen property as well as my reserve paperwork. The police believed I was involved somehow because my paperwork was there. They called me but I was hours away at school, I told them that I would have no problems talking to them as long as I had some sort of council (because thats what I have always been told to do through my education) I left them a call back number and stated that if they needed anything else to please call me. I haven't heard from them since! They terminated me from the reserves under, "Possible implications into a criminal matter". My cousin was facing 5 years prison time, but the investigators said that if he told them I was involved they would lower his sentence, he took the deal and told them I was involved.. He got his lowered sentence and they never contacted me.. I didn't know the activity he was taking part in nor did I take part in it myself. The whole issue has torn my family apart and so I assume some family members may not think highly of each other anymore..

I have never done a single drug in my entire life and I have no alcohol charges. I was also given a ticket for curfew when I was 16 over homecoming week. I have one speeding ticket.

If I disclose all of this during my BI, do I have a chance of achieving my dream as a cop?

Even giving you a helluva benefit of the doubt, you yourself admit to being open to manipulation, by letting your cousin talk you into the theft. As a hiring official, I have to wonder what would happen if I gave you a badge and a gun and some crackwhore or drug dealer tried to talk you into looking the other way. Based on your history (the best predictor of future behavior, BTW) you would probably do it. Why would I expose my department to such liability??

The answer is that I wouldn't. You'd be passed over.

[flyboy07]

So the fact that I was a minor that made a stupid decision doesn't make a difference? It was a huge life lesson and since then kept myself out of trouble. I regret the decision I made. I learned from it and I am doing everything I can to make things right. I admit my mistake, compensated for it and have stayed out of trouble since.

I've seen other threads on here of people who have been convicted of 2 felonies as juveniles and people have stated being they were juveniles it would be harder but not an automatic DQ. There was never any police involvement in the issue, I compensated the homeowner. I would admit this as an undected crime.

[Switchback]

I never said it was an automatic DQ. I am just saying you would not get hired.

[BJJVad]

I admit to the mistakes I made as a juvenile, and I have changed my entire life thinking, so I can pursue being a LE officer.

+

I resigned working for my uncle and took all the heat for my cousin..

=

Doesn't fly with me. It's like when your kid tells you they're sorry right after disciplining them. They aren't sorry, they just want to get that step out of the way so they can get back to what they were doing and dismiss it as fast as they can.

Your statements are more powerful when you put them together as a whole. From what I have read from yours, you are one of those people that boarders on dangerous to your own good. Because you can fool yourself into anything.

Sorry, but your character is flawed in my opinion. I don't see you acting as a responsible adult (IMO) and that's just from our brief interactions over a website. Your statements and admissions of action support my earlier statement.

..and to be honest, this new thread seems like your fishing for an answer in a pond with none..

[Switchback]

Flyboy07,

Do not start a new thread on what is essentially the same topic as your original thread.

[flyboy07]

I'm sorry. This is my original post. The other "What should I do" post I was trying to understand what I should do about the comments I have heard about the ex-family friend that is an LEO?