Question for Background Investigators

[agent9]

I was recently terminated during my probationary period at a local police department. I was not given a reason why, but based on my performance evaluations, I am assuming that I was terminated mainly for officer safety issues. I am now entering the background process with another police department.

I listed three references from my old department (two sergeants and a master officer- all would probably give me a decent referral), but I am somewhat worried that my B.I. will end up speaking to the sergeant and master officer that I had worked under when I was terminated. I was wondering, on average, how many former co-workers / supervisors from my old police department would a typical backgound investigator speak to?

Do you think it would be a good idea to contact any of the supervisors I listed or have not listed (I.E., potential negative references) and let them know that I am going through backgrounds?

[Citicop]

A background investigator would be bordering on dereliction of his duty by NOT contacting the people you worked closest with in your previous departments, including the supervisors you had when you were terminated.

I don't do backgrounds, but it would send up a red flag to me if the people you listed as references from your old department weren't on your shift when you worked there.

If you were already honest with the new department about what happened, then you should be fine. If not, I'll tell you now that they WILL find out about what happened, and you would do yourself a favor by calling your BI and telling him before he finds out from someone else.

Good Luck-

Citicop.

[maz]

If you were terminated for Officer Safety Issues then I can't see another police department hiring you and being a liability on their department. Please explain in furhter detail the reason why you were terminiated and maybe people here can be of furhter assistance

[manahmanah]

Ignore what maz said. I know of a few officers and deputies that have been hired after being let go during training because of "officer safety" issues. There can oftentimes be quite a bit of discretion left to the FTO as to whether or not a person is kept or let go. The officers and deputies I know that have been hired are good officers. Sometimes there is just a personality conflict between FTO's and trainees. Just be honest. If you made a mistake, admit to it but most importantly, LEARN FROM IT! Good luck.:D

[agent9]

"I don't do backgrounds, but it would send up a red flag to me if the people you listed as references from your old department weren't on your shift when you worked there."


I actually listed a sergeant that I worked under for 6 months, a sergeant I worked under for one month during F.T.O., and one of my former F.T.O.'s.

There was not a major event that made me lose my job. I was however, inconsistant in the way in which I handled calls. At times I had "very good officer safety" and at other times I had "very poor officer safety." The last sergeant I worked under wanted consistancy and I failed to deliver that. I was put back into training after 6 months of being out on my own. I was in training for approximately two and a half weeks and finally let go.

To maz- I do know that it will be difficult to get back into law enforcement with officer safety issues, but I also know that it is not an impossibility. Furthermore, I am currently in backgrounds with a college campus, where officer safety will not be as major an issue. Of course, officer safety is always the most important thing for a police officer, but working at a college campus is somewhat of a controlled environment compared to the city I used to work for, which had the highest amount of parolees per capita.

[lax854]

"I don't do backgrounds, but it would send up a red flag to me if the people you listed as references from your old department weren't on your shift when you worked there."


I actually listed a sergeant that I worked under for 6 months, a sergeant I worked under for one month during F.T.O., and one of my former F.T.O.'s.

There was not a major event that made me lose my job. I was however, inconsistant in the way in which I handled calls. At times I had "very good officer safety" and at other times I had "very poor officer safety." The last sergeant I worked under wanted consistancy and I failed to deliver that. I was put back into training after 6 months of being out on my own. I was in training for approximately two and a half weeks and finally let go.

To maz- I do know that it will be difficult to get back into law enforcement with officer safety issues, but I also know that it is not an impossibility.

okay agent, im going to sidetrack just alittle bit. Im kind of interested in what it means "officer safety" Im in impact now for the nypd which is basically the same thing. Now, in your agency, you guys are rated on how you handle the jobs. So what did you do at certain calls for the agency to raise the red flag? Anyways, all things aside, although it wont look good gettting let go from another agency, as long as you can articulate your actions and how you went about answering those jobs, i dont see any reason to not be hired. Id rather hire you who got some experience on the job then the guy next to you who may have done coke once or twice!

[agent9]

to lax854- officer safety, simply put is making sure you as a police officer and your partner are safe. You want to minimize risk to you and your partner by doing things such as doing good pat-down searches, calling for back-up when necessary, making sure you call out your location, etc.

[lax854]

to lax854- officer safety, simply put is making sure you as a police officer and your partner are safe. You want to minimize risk to you and your partner by doing things such as doing good pat-down searches, calling for back-up when necessary, making sure you call out your location, etc.

okay i got ya. Well, all are obvious fundamentals which every LEO needs to survive out there and do their job effectively. As with every what if question, your chances of gettting in to another dept are not up to me or any other verified on this site. It simply comes down to you and your BI. Like everything in life, the chance you take is worth it over doing nothing at all. If the simple facts were you did not fit into what the dept was looking for then you are fine. However, if you brought a perp into the cells and he had a shotgun that somehow you didnt find while searching him, then i can see a problem!

[1depd]

The short answer, from what I've seen, is the BI doesn't care who you put down as references. Common sense says you will only put those who will give you a favorable reference. The investigator will go to your old agency and ask for you personnel file, where all of you blemishes, screw ups, at-a-boys and performance ratings are displayed. Since you were fired you can bet there will be a detailed explanation in your file as to why you were told to leave. If the BI feels you are beyond redemption they will write it up that way.

We hired several people from a neighboring agency who were fired during FTO for officer safety issues. The issue was listening to the radio. The old agency used the radio almost exclusively, so there it was a big deal. Our agency used MDT or laptops and only used the radio for emergency or immediate need reasons, so people were less likely to tune it out. Most of the officers we hired after their termination were not bad officers, some were even good. Some even admitted to using the old agency to put them through the academy and doing what was necessary to get fired once they were in the FTO. The reputation of the agency was not a good one so it was not held against anybody for being fired from it.

[Valor55]

I hope you aren't applying at my agency. However we tend to do good background checks.