Your advice on improvements please...

[neversayingdie]

Please, if you are interested in helping, take the time to read my post. I thank you in advance for any advice.

I'm not going to ask if you think my past will DQ me. I have no auto-DQs. But I know that I need to prove my worth in a monstrous uphill battle.

What I ask, are genuine tips of additional things I can do that will improve my chances of eventually having a career in LE. Thank you in advance.

My story:
-32 y/o W/M
-Two A.A. degrees (complete different curriculums)
-One year of additional coursework in Criminal Justice
-Fluent in Spanish/English
-Currently mid-level manager with over 30+ employees for last 5 years in a large corporate environment.
-No physical deficiencies or limitations whatsoever
-Current credit history is fine. No major blemishes.
-Married with one step-son
-No psych problems
-Zero traffic infractions/accidents in last 8 years

Now the issues:
-Misd. Grand theft at age 16
-Misd. Possession of a firearm replica at age 17 (think thats how they worded it)
-Smoked pot 4 times during ages of 16-17
-4 years in the military (Army) with exemplary service marred by me going AWOL with 6 mo. left and getting an UOTH discharge. This was in 1999.
-Arrested for DUI in 2001 when an idiot bar acquaintance hit an off-duty cop in the face and they pulled me over looking for him. (I turned him in of course and eventually the DUI charges were dropped b/c I blew a .06 and .07; he went to jail thankfully).


-No incidents since 2001.


Actions I am currently undertaking to show immoral behavior is not nor will be a part of my life in any form.
-Applied for volunteer work at local police deptarment
-Am currently involved in mitigation of my military discharge due to reasons that would be too lengthy for me to explain here. Please trust that my discharge was illegitimate and assume it to be so in your response.
-Continuing my college education in pursuit of a communications degree.


Thank you again for taking the time to review my post and share your thoughts.

I am proof positive that youthful indiscretions will wreck the realizations and dreams of maturity. The problem is I am too damn stubborn to ever give up. So it is my intention to do whatever is necessary to give myself that snowball's chance.

Your advice may help with that.

Best regards...

[Valor55]

The vast majority of agencies require that any military duty end under honorable conditions only. If you find an agency that won't automatically disqualify you, you will struggle to compete with the current large group of combat veterans who are applying. Our academy is full of them. This is your biggest hurdle.

The DWI arrest is bad news. You are very lucky the charges were dropped. The fact it was a long time ago and there is no conviction is helpful but it will be tough to overcome.

The rest of your stuff is fabulous. I'm not sure there's more you can do to improve your application. The best thing for you is time. The more time from the problems the better. If you have difficulty now try again in a couple years.

[Stub]

What I ask, are genuine tips of additional things I can do that will improve my chances of eventually having a career in LE.

A new identity and prayer :D

...a monstrous uphill battle

...immoral behavior...

...youthful indiscretions will wreck the realizations and dreams...

...snowball's chance

On a serious note, it is clear that you understand your chances of being hired.

You are on target with what you can do to improve your chances.

[Roger Dat]

Anything less than an honorable or entry level separation will make it difficult if not impossible to be hired considering LE is considerd para- miliatry.

[neversayingdie]

I appreciate the remarks all of you have made thus far.

I do understand the almost insurmountable obstacles ahead of me. I have found that local PDs and and Sheriff departments do not specify that my discharge will automatically DQ me.

I have also conferred with a local recruiter and he told me to at least try.

I also expect my discharge to be upgraded once I see the review board.

Lastly, I posted this thread fully aware of my situation due to my past. I only ask for advice on what I can do to look more favorably once I eventually apply...

...not how bad I already look.

Thank you again.

[mcsap]

Telling the USA to " take this job and shove it" has well known penalties. Doing the same with WalMart doesn't. It doesn't matter too much why you went AWOL but you did and you got a OTHD.

That is a bruise that will " leave a mark".

[neversayingdie]

I agree whole-heartedly mscap. I have spent the last 9 years regretting my decision on a daily basis and I accept responsibility for it. I do expect a reversal of the discharge though.

Perhaps I should be more specific though, should I try things such as:

-written statements of character from friends that are in LE?

-working for local officials to gain favor?

-charity and volunteer programs?

-enlistment of a congressman's help?

I'm trying to think out of the box here of what I can do. I'm not trying to shirk culpability.

Thoughts?

[mcsap]

I agree whole-heartedly mscap. I have spent the last 9 years regretting my decision on a daily basis and I accept responsibility for it. I do expect a reversal of the discharge though.

Perhaps I should be more specific though, should I try things such as:

-written statements of character from friends that are in LE?

-working for local officials to gain favor?

-charity and volunteer programs?

-enlistment of a congressman's help?

I'm trying to think out of the box here of what I can do. I'm not trying to shirk culpability.

Thoughts?

1. You will need references , if you add any other stuff into an app like unwanted letters of recommendation...they'll get shredded.

2. So you want to work for someone in local politics or in another position of authority so that THEY will somehow intervene on your behalf and get YOU the job instead of someone else who scored better than you did ?

Morals 101...you are getting a D if not an F.

3. Volunteer/Charity work always looks good on a resume'.

4. See answer # 2 above. There is a REASON that we do LE testing. It is to get the BEST people for the position. Finding a Congressman who will somehow " help you out " again means you are " cutting in line " ahead of a person who is BETTER QUALIFIED than you.

Morals 101...this time you got an F.

[neversayingdie]

You are definately hitting the pride button by negatively grading my morals. But, I suppose that is what LEO's are paid to do, so I can't say I blame you for it.

I can say however, that I was merely trying to think of out of the box suggestions and if they were plausible. I am also hoping that you are someone else could provide some suggestions seeing as how my experiences are limited in this field.

My intent of the question of seeking favor of an official wasn't to "short cut" the line. My thought process was that if an elected official were to give a favorable review--that perhaps I may not be as bad of an apple that my youth depicts.

I do appreciate your interest in my thread thus far, and appreciate all of your responses, both positive and negative.


-Are there any others that have comments or suggestions that may be helpful? Again, thank you in advance.

[mcsap]

Be the best candidate that you can be. Your background is already established at this point and although some charity work looks nice, it is doubtful that is going to be the reason they hire you.

IMHO , the single best thing you can do is to get your discharge upgraded. I wuld spend ALL of my energy on that before I would do anything else.

And I think that sometimes people need to have their pride " smacked up side their head" from someone who has been there and done that.

I have been in LE for 22 years ( +4 in the military) and am going to tell you like it is. I get no benefit , gain or glory from helping you or firing a shot across your bow.

You are getting FREE and VALUABLE advice here. Use it to your benefit. You have a decent shot at getting hired assuming the US Army helps you out.

[Cat_Doc]

Are there any others that have comments or suggestions that may be helpful? Again, thank you in advance.

I don't think you are going to interpret this as a helpful comment, but the less than honorable discharge is a killer DQ on my department. Regardless of whether you feel it was unjustified, the fact remains....the United States Army booted you for less than honorable service.

Getting the discharge changed will not, repeat; will not conceal the less than honorable from competent background investigators.

I am not justified in saying that you would not make a good cop. You might just make one hell of a cop.

But, the bad decisions you made while a member of the United States Army will stay with you and would be an automatic DQ at my agency. That is the policy they have adopted and they do not deviate from it, even if they got a call from a congressman.

Your best recourse may be to speak with recruiters from specific agencies you are interested in. Listen to them and analyze what they have to say.

I am certain that what you seek will not be found here.