My backround....Too Bad???

[drewstealth]

Well i'm 21 years old now. I"m going to school to get my degree in Criminal Justice. I want to be a LEO but i'm starting to think that maybe i should give up though because of my past. When i was 15 i was put on probation for helping somebody steal a few things from jcpenny. I thought it was just gonna be one thing but it was like 3 things and i didn't even really know what was going on. It wasn't over $500, so it wasn't a felony. But i haven't got in trouble for anything since then except for a few speeding tickets.

Now for the part that i think will dq me. I used to smoke weed when i was 16 quite a bit. I went on and off after that. I stopped for like 2 years but then i started to date this girl and she got me doing it again. I didn't do it much recently but i only been totally clean for like 8 months now. The bad part is that i have tried other drugs also. I have done ecstacy about 10 times in my lifetime. I started when i was about 17. I have done a few other things like shrooms, and acid, but it was only a one time thing. It was a huge mistake that i did when i was 17. But i did do ecstacy about 1 year ago 1 time again. I have changed since then and i know i'm going to stay clean from everything. Except the occasional drinking at a club. But that is rare for me.

I'm just asking this question because i want your honest opinion on whether or not you think i have a chance. If you think i don't then i'm going to stop takeing my Criminal Justice classes after this semester and look into something else i guess. Thanks.

[txinvestigator1]

I would suggest you find another degree program. I see all sorts of red flags just in your short post.

No harm meant to you, just the way I see it.

[Rad Diver]

Yep, the shrooms, ecstacy, acid, etc. permanent dq's in most agencies.

Sorry, best of luck to ya.

[xlaren]

FYI, the "red flags," TX is reffering to are:

When i was 15 i was put on probation for helping somebody steal a few things from jcpenny.
Red flag #1

I thought it was just gonna be one thing but it was like 3 things and i didn't even really know what was going on.
Of course you knew what was going on. Red flag #2

It wasn't over $500, so it wasn't a felony.
Sounds like you are downplaying the situation on a technicality. Red flag #3

But i haven't got in trouble for anything since then except for a few speeding tickets.
A few? That sounds like 4+. Red flag #4

I used to smoke weed when i was 16 quite a bit.
Red flag #5

I stopped for like 2 years but then i started to date this girl and she got me doing it again.
Drug use, and blaming another person for your actions. Red flag #6

The bad part is that i have tried other drugs also. I have done ecstacy about 10 times in my lifetime.
Huge red flag #7

I have done a few other things like shrooms, and acid, but it was only a one time thing.
Sounds like downplaying extremely dangerous drug use. Red flag #8

It was a huge mistake that i did when i was 17. But i did do ecstacy about 1 year ago 1 time again.
So it was a huge mistake, then you did it ecstacy right after? Red flag #9


I'm no LEO (yet!), but I have common sense. I don't think you have a chance anywhere. But with a 4 year degree in anything, you can do a lot, and probably make more than being a cop would get you.

[FloridaLEO]

Go down to all of the agencies that you want to work for and find out what their policy is on prior drug use. My dept. would not hire you; there are some out there that have looser policies. Just curious why you didn’t take your history into consideration before signing up for your major. Aren’t you still working on your prerequisites, if so just change your major. Just FYI, a felony here is anything over 299.00 bucks. Anyways, good luck.

[Rad Diver]

FYI, the "red flags," TX is reffering to are:

When i was 15 i was put on probation for helping somebody steal a few things from jcpenny.
Red flag #1

I thought it was just gonna be one thing but it was like 3 things and i didn't even really know what was going on.
Of course you knew what was going on. Red flag #2

It wasn't over $500, so it wasn't a felony.
Sounds like you are downplaying the situation on a technicality. Red flag #3

But i haven't got in trouble for anything since then except for a few speeding tickets.
A few? That sounds like 4+. Red flag #4

I used to smoke weed when i was 16 quite a bit.
Red flag #5

I stopped for like 2 years but then i started to date this girl and she got me doing it again.
Drug use, and blaming another person for your actions. Red flag #6

The bad part is that i have tried other drugs also. I have done ecstacy about 10 times in my lifetime.
Huge red flag #7

I have done a few other things like shrooms, and acid, but it was only a one time thing.
Sounds like downplaying extremely dangerous drug use. Red flag #8

It was a huge mistake that i did when i was 17. But i did do ecstacy about 1 year ago 1 time again.
So it was a huge mistake, then you did it ecstacy right after? Red flag #9


I'm no LEO (yet!), but I have common sense. I don't think you have a chance anywhere. But with a 4 year degree in anything, you can do a lot, and probably make more than being a cop would get you.

Xlaren,

Red flags 1-5 are workable in alot of agencies. Due to the age of the person and a reasonable time lapse between.

[xlaren]

Xlaren,

Red flags 1-5 are workable in alot of agencies. Due to the age of the person and a reasonable time lapse between.

Oh I know... not saying they're disqualifiers, just saying they're... well... red flags :cool:

[drewstealth]

Well actually i started to go to school for computers. I got interested in computer forensics. So i had to take Criminal Justice classes to be able to get into that class. But then i got interested in CJ. I wanted to be a cop for a long time but my dad always told me i was an idoit for wanting to do that. So i gave up on that and started hang out with some bad people. I done some things that i really wish i didn't do but i can't change the fact that i did it now. As for the shoplifting thing, trust me if you knew the situation i only thought the guy i was with was only going to take 1 thing(like that makes it okay). He did only take 1 thing from JCpenny's but while i was walking around with him in the mall he stole a few other things from 2 other stores(i did not know about these things). He ran off and i took the blame. When the security guard came i had to find the hidden merchandise and i helped the security guard find the stuff. I didn't get arrested nor did i have to go to court but i got put on this minor probation thing in which if i did anything else wrong within 6 months then they would charge me for what happened and i would have to do double the time for it.

Oh and i wasn't trying to blame anybody else for what i did. I know i have the final say in what i do and i shouldn't let anybody else effect my decisions. I changed a lot in the last year. But trust me a really hot girl can have some drastic effects on your decision making. :(

[MORA Ranger]

I have a couple cousins that I know do ecstacy and acid, and smoke marijuana. They're my cousins and I love them. They're really nice people, but I would never want to work with them, even if they said they wouldn't ever do it again.

Sorry, but I think you should find another goal.

[mcsap]

You would be perm DQ'd with any agency in my area for the serious drug use.

[drewstealth]

I have a couple cousins that I know do ecstacy and acid, and smoke marijuana. They're my cousins and I love them. They're really nice people, but I would never want to work with them, even if they said they wouldn't ever do it again.

Sorry, but I think you should find another goal.

Well if you knew me you would never think in a million years that i DID any of these things. I am a very respectful person and have high morals(even though i did screw up before). I am very smart, and i know what you mean about people that do those things. I know some of them and well, what can i say unless they change real fast they won't be doing much with their life. I have helped out the police in another city that i used to work for in convicting 2 criminals for drug related charges. One was involving a half pound of crystal meth, and the other was for 3 pounds of marajuana.

But i can take a hint. I guess i should look into something else. Although not much else interest me.

Btw i already scheduled a ride a long with a police officer in my city. Do you think if i asked him about their drug policy and told him a little of my backround that i could get in trouble because of it?

[mcsap]

It won't hurt to ask.

[LeoSoon]

I don't see how any amount of drug use is allowed by any dept no matter how much time has passed. How can you look someone in the face and arrest them for smoking weed, when you did the same thing at their age? Maybe I have too much integrity, but that seems like a major contradiction to me.

.02

[mcsap]

I don't see how any amount of drug use is allowed by any dept no matter how much time has passed. How can you look someone in the face and arrest them for smoking weed, when you did the same thing at their age? Maybe I have too much integrity, but that seems like a major contradiction to me.

.02

A limited amount of drug use ( no hard drugs) is "allowed" as long as a certain passage of time has occurred and the use itself wasn't a tremendous amount of times. We require 5 years clean from MJ.

[insanediplomat]

Mora, is that Ganja in that picture?