Another background story because I'm obsessing!!

[hook11050]

Hello all! Been lurking around here for awhile just wanted to run my background past you ladies and gentlemen since I value your no-nonsense approach and want some truthful thoughts about my chances of become a LEO.

I'm 29 years old, in good shape, will have no problem with the physical entrance exam..My past is not perfect, but who's is? When I was 20 I received a DUI, stupid, stupid, stupid, but I wasn't using my noodle and I regret it ever happened, I now know i could have hurt myself and/or someone else. Have/will never do that again..Experimented with Marijuana once in 1996, my senior year of high school and again somewhere in 97-98 in college.. I have been an athlete all my life, being team captain of my high school football, basketball and baseball teams..I have a driving record that is less than stellar, many of tickets we're from a while back, but I do have too many moving violations in the past 3-5 years and a suspension 2 years ago for a day because I had missed my court date. I took care of it immediately, but still shows as a revocation..I have a four year degree, and haven't been arrested(besides the DUI) ever. I am the ultimate "team player" I love helping people, want to make a difference, and feel I would be an asset to any department that would have me...Everything else(job history/credit..etc) is very good... What do you guys think my chances of being accepted to any one of these fine departments?
DUI- 10 years ago
traffic record- less than stellar/too many moving violations
marijuana use twice...
all things teenagers do: I.E underage drinking/ Lied to parents about where I was going....That stuff was over 10 years ago, and really is not relevant or reflective to the man I've become, but of course it needs to be disclosed to show I was never perfect and have nothing to hide

Four year degree
Strong work ethic
been a professional for the last 4 years, working in finance..
Scored extremely high on my written exams...
series 6/63/life and health licenses for finance.
Athlete who has been voted captain of all teams I have played on.
never been fired..

I'm a people person, wanting to make a difference in this world. if i can help one person a year, it will make my life a better place.. Ultimate team player who would do anything for a teammate(partner) or anyone on my team...All of this will be verified by anyone the BI will interview...Enough rambling!! Will my DUI and traffic record be cause for DQ?? I am obsessing about this, because i feel I was made for LE! I welcome any and all comments, hope all of you have a wonderful weekend and thanks for taking the time to respond to yet another background question!

P.S. I always admired police officers, but it wasnt until recently(2-3 years) that i realized this may be my calling in life. Working in finance you see all the scam artists, lier's, cheaters and thieves...I am far from any of that, and I realized I can be used to make a difference in this world..I have always put others before myself, I know this should be what I do for a living..I can go to bed with a sense of accomplishment and wake up with a sense of purpose..thanks again!

[mcsap]

The biggest hurdle I see is your driving record. Can you expound on your version of ..." less than stellar ?"

[hook11050]

I was hoping you would respond cap, I have seen your responses to others and you tell it like it is...By less than stellar I mean a 2-3 speeding violations within the past 2 years, and probably somewhere around 5 total throughout the past ten years along with some expired registrations and inspection stickers at the same time , which I subsequently took care of ASAP...I didn't realize the implications these infractions would have on my ability to become a police officer..The only thing I can say is since I have seriously decided to pursue this endeavor, and taken the written exams, i have slowed my driving to that of a snail and not received any traffic citations. Making sure to not exceed any speed limit at any time..I never make excuses for anything I do or have done, my only explanation is my previous career choices involved putting 20,000 miles a year on my car driving everywhere for appointments..This constant driving made me tired, and if I knew it would be cause for dq from a future employment I would have concentrated much harder on not doing this stupidity. Please don't mistake this as an excuse, more of an explanation, there is no excuse for disobeying posted traffic signs...Thanks for your swift response and I look forward to hearing from you and anyone else soon..I'm hoping my background would outweigh these, but I really can't be sure, and it's occupying my thoughts everyday...Something I have really turned my attention to, and decided this is something I know I want and would be an asset..

[mcsap]

Hello all! Been lurking around here for awhile just wanted to run my background past you ladies and gentlemen since I value your no-nonsense approach and want some truthful thoughts about my chances of become a LEO.

I'm 29 years old, in good shape, will have no problem with the physical entrance exam..My past is not perfect, but who's is? When I was 20 I received a DUI, stupid, stupid, stupid, but I wasn't using my noodle and I regret it ever happened, I now know i could have hurt myself and/or someone else. Have/will never do that again..Experimented with Marijuana once in 1996, my senior year of high school and again somewhere in 97-98 in college.. I have been an athlete all my life, being team captain of my high school football, basketball and baseball teams..I have a driving record that is less than stellar, many of tickets we're from a while back, but I do have too many moving violations in the past 3-5 years and a suspension 2 years ago for a day because I had missed my court date. I took care of it immediately, but still shows as a revocation..I have a four year degree, and haven't been arrested(besides the DUI) ever. I am the ultimate "team player" I love helping people, want to make a difference, and feel I would be an asset to any department that would have me...Everything else(job history/credit..etc) is very good... What do you guys think my chances of being accepted to any one of these fine departments?
DUI- 10 years ago
traffic record- less than stellar/too many moving violations
marijuana use twice...
all things teenagers do: I.E underage drinking/ Lied to parents about where I was going....That stuff was over 10 years ago, and really is not relevant or reflective to the man I've become, but of course it needs to be disclosed to show I was never perfect and have nothing to hide

Four year degree
Strong work ethic
been a professional for the last 4 years, working in finance..
Scored extremely high on my written exams...
series 6/63/life and health licenses for finance.
Athlete who has been voted captain of all teams I have played on.
never been fired..

I'm a people person, wanting to make a difference in this world. if i can help one person a year, it will make my life a better place.. Ultimate team player who would do anything for a teammate(partner) or anyone on my team...All of this will be verified by anyone the BI will interview...Enough rambling!! Will my DUI and traffic record be cause for DQ?? I am obsessing about this, because i feel I was made for LE! I welcome any and all comments, hope all of you have a wonderful weekend and thanks for taking the time to respond to yet another background question!

P.S. I always admired police officers, but it wasnt until recently(2-3 years) that i realized this may be my calling in life. Working in finance you see all the scam artists, lier's, cheaters and thieves...I am far from any of that, and I realized I can be used to make a difference in this world..I have always put others before myself, I know this should be what I do for a living..I can go to bed with a sense of accomplishment and wake up with a sense of purpose..thanks again!

Bruise Category

1. DUI . Good that it was 9 yrs ago but its still there.
2. Suspension. Bad that you got it but good that it was for a failure to respond instead for too many tickets.
3. Traffic cites. Mainly the point offenses like speeding and the fact that they are recent. The non-moving cites aren't bad but they all add up.
4. MJ use 3 x with the most recent 10 yrs ago. 10 yrs of time is good.
5. At your age, I dont care much about juvenile offenses like underage alcohol. Its there , admit to it and move on.


Plus category.

1. 4 year degree.
2. Good physical condition.
3. Job history/credit.
4. Professional position.

Summation.

Overall I see the DUI and drug use as minor but nonetheless a background of you. The traffic tickets and the suspension are IMHO , the most damaging thing you have.

Suggestions.

Keep doing what you are doing. ( like your attentive driving)

Maybe some volunteer work or charitable work may help your background a little ( and the community).

Find out if you had a suspension or a revocation. At least in my state, there is a considerable difference. A suspension means you lost your license but you can get it back. A Revocation means you lost your license and the only way to geet it back is to get a learners permit and start all over again.

At any apperances for hiring/testing etc. look SHARP and be SHARP. Haircut , lose any earrings or facial jewelry , facial hair etc. If you want to be a cop ...look the part when you are applying.

You will have competition , a lot of which will not have had a DUI or a suspension. You will have to overcome this by testing and interviewing WELL. I would not say that you are wasting your time by applying but you have made it harder for yourself.

[mythoss]

Nothing against you. I am no hiring expert since I am only 4 weeks into my academy right now. However, I just want to say that I'm sick of hearing the "things all teenagers do" comment in these posts. I never did any of that stuff as a teenager. I never drank, did drugs, lied about where I was going. I was a goodie-two-shoes, and that's one of that main reasons why I got hired. So stop thinking it's okay because "everybody did it." No they didn't. Now as to your specific situation I would say you probably have a shot. But then again, I don't really know. You will be competing against guys/gals like me. You might as well go for it and see what happens, what do you have to lose?

[hook11050]

Thanks csap, appreciate you taking the time to respond. In closing I just want to say I have no piercings, earings or any other non-professional attire.. Already have my head shaved, and being a professional, I wear a suit everyday and wouldn't even consider going to an interview in nothing but a suit and tie...I do have a goatee, but that would be taken off way before I was to interview for this position. I tend to interview well, which is what I'm hoping will help me overcome some of my shortcomings...The suspension was just that, not a revocation, I went to DMV directly after I was notified and got it reinstated that week..I do realize after reading the posts here that my record was going to be my biggest hurdle, which is why I asked for some comments on my situation..The appearances part will not be a problem in the least, the driving record is what may hold be back...I'm hoping I can overcome this with my appearance, professionalism and my over-all maturity since I made some mistakes...I really hope it doesn't cost me this profession and having the opportunity to join america's finest..At the risk of sounding cliche, I really do want to make a difference in this world, and think/know I will if given the opportunity..Just hope I get the chance...Thanks again csap, your comments are much appreciated..Have a good night!

[mcsap]

We dont call DUI , speeding or drug use a mistake. They were all intentional if not reckless acts.

Just so ya know

[LastChance36]

MCSAP covered it all in great detail and I agree with everything he said. One thing I would like to add is when you are considering applying for a law enforcement position today, you have to look at it from the department's perspective. They are not always looking for the best qualified candidate per say, they are looking for the applicant with the lowest liability and or risk to get them sued. Traffic accidents are one of the most common types of incidents that will get a city sued and they give a hard look at all driver histories. Traffic citations and subsequent suspensions show you have a disregard for traffic laws and or the personal safety of others on the road. Not a quality you want shining through in an applicant.
Being on our hiring board and conducting BI's on all our applicants, one of the first things I pull are traffic histories. This shows me alot about the applicant without ever speaking with them. When I look at a traffic history it not only shows me what kind of driver you are (being in more than 1 or 2 accidents in the past few years where it was not your fault brings questions too) but it shows me the person I am going to have to ask our insurance carrier to cover driving a police car. If you drive like that in your personal vehicle, how are you going to drive in a police car with lights and siren 40 hours a week? On more than one occasion we have DQ'd a more than qualified applicant because the insurance carrier said "No way!" after looking at his driver history.
To all future law enforcement applicants I stress to watch your driving habits and remember any incidents now can push back your chances of being hired by a law enforcement agency for up to 5 years each time.

[hook11050]

Thoss,

I never said it was ok to drink under-age, or lie to your parents, all i said was that I did what MOST teenagers do, which is the try to fool their parents and do things they shouldn't...I was including it in my disclosure so I was given an accurate assessment. If I didn't disclose everything here, then whatever I was told would mean nothing because it wasn't the whole truth...Congrats if you were an angel when you were younger, but I wasn't and I'm sure most here weren't either...If I knew I wanted to be LE at 18, I wouldn't have done the things I did, unfortunately we're not all that lucky to know what we want from life until it presents itself in the future..I'm not here to argue about what I did when I was 18 years old, it was 11 years ago, I was asking for some feedback as to what my chances were of being hired as LE..Good luck though in the academy, I wish you the best!!

I agree csap, it was surely intentional and reckless at the least. Mistake was the wrong word to use, like Ive said, I don't make any excuses for anything I have done in the past, all I can do is say I'm sorry, tell all involved it will and has never happened again and try to get past this hurdle..

Last chance, that was a great response, exactly what I was looking for when I decided to include myself on this site...Obviously, I dont like hearing you've dq'ed a qualified applicant for their driving record, but at least I now know where I stand and I must make sure to improve my chances by trying to make myself a more attractive candidate in other areas..Never been in any accidents, but I understand the insurance point since I suffer through the payments myself...

Well, thanks all for the constructive criticism and feedback, I appreciate you all taking the time to respond and I hope to come back on here and tell you guys I made it through despite the traffic record, but only time will tell...Again, thank you, and stay safe all..

[LastChance36]

Glad we could be of help Hook. Not fun to open yourself up to a barrage of criticism, but the fact that you take it, learn from it and set your sights on your goal says you have the drive needed to hopefully do the job. Keep us posted on your process. Good luck!

[hook11050]

Chance,

Thank you...Much appreciated. I do have the drive, and If i were hired would have the drive every single day of my life...It certainly isn't easy to open yourself up to complete strangers, but I have been reading this forum for the past 4-6 months in order to identify those that are really trying to help and KNOW what their talking about...Many just like to hear themselves speak, and have nothing constructive to add...I was very glad you and csap responded, two I was hoping would...Again, thank you for taking the time to offer up some help, and stay safe out on the roads. I will keep you guys posted as I progress, if anyone really cares, but it may help others to keep focused too...Someone may be in a similar position and be thinking about quitting or not following through and me miss the opportunity to be apart of something that is bigger than any of us soley...Stay safe, and thanks again...

By the way csap, if you're reading this, I forgot to put up in my bio that I had volunteered for the special Olympics back about 10 years ago, and I was a camp counselor at an overnight camp where we would have children bussed in from high-need and poverty stricken area's among other places...I was a counselor there for five years, and trust me, it was not for the pay...I mean I was getting so little it could easily have been mistaken for charity work... I did it for the kids and to be outsidre all summer...I Just remembered that stuff when you mentioned the charity and/or community work that I should look into...

Be good fellas and Ill talk to you soon!

[AmarulaCream]

...

[LastChance36]

No prob Hook...hang in there.

[NyPd Sgt ALU]

hook what department are you applying for?

[hook11050]

NYPD Sgt,

I have applied to NCPD and the NYSP...Don't wanna put all my eggs in one basket, hence my two applications. Think I'm going to ride my bike to work and really cut down my chance of getting any other traffic infractions!! Would look nice in a suit, on a ten speed, cruising down the highway.