Another background question

[chansencc]

I am considering a job in Law Enforcement as a career move. I am 28, married, one child. I have been sorting through the threads in this section and I know that it has been asked numerous times but I wanted to put my own background out there for scrutiny to see if there are any red flags or if I should continue with this goal.

Bad Points (that I plan on divulging):

Convicted - Melicious mischief when I was 12 or 13. I am not sure but I think it was removed or dropped. Me and a friend tried breaking some vehicle windows in a work yard.

1 at fault traffic accident

1 traffic ticket within the last 3 years, total of about 5 over 12 years of driving

(Not caught) Marijuana use (approx 5 times) between 1999-2000

(Not caught) No DWI but have drove under the influence (1 time for certain @ 20 years old, maybe 2 others borderline)

(Not caught) Took some hardware from work for home project (value maybe $20) - 2 years ago

(Not caught) Took satellite memory card thing from another fraternity in college (don't know value but it gave us free tv for while) - 8 years ago

(Not caught) Shoplifted mouthwash - 8 years ago (I don't know what I was thinking either)

These are the bad things and I won't go into my better side. I am not proud of any of this and hope none of it is immediate DQ. Being new to this I am not sure what to expect when I fill out my background info - is this the type of stuff to tell them? Other than the first point on the list, I have never been in trouble with the law since but as shown above have done illegal acts. Putting it all on one sheet makes me feel like a really terrible person. Any thoughts on this?

Thanks

[vegas8921]

I am considering a job in Law Enforcement as a career move. I am 28, married, one child. I have been sorting through the threads in this section and I know that it has been asked numerous times but I wanted to put my own background out there for scrutiny to see if there are any red flags or if I should continue with this goal.

Bad Points (that I plan on divulging):

Convicted - Melicious mischief when I was 12 or 13. I am not sure but I think it was removed or dropped. Me and a friend tried breaking some vehicle windows in a work yard.

1 at fault traffic accident

1 traffic ticket within the last 3 years, total of about 5 over 12 years of driving

(Not caught) Marijuana use (approx 5 times) between 1999-2000

(Not caught) No DWI but have drove under the influence (1 time for certain @ 20 years old, maybe 2 others borderline)

(Not caught) Took some hardware from work for home project (value maybe $20) - 2 years ago

(Not caught) Took satellite memory card thing from another fraternity in college (don't know value but it gave us free tv for while) - 8 years ago

(Not caught) Shoplifted mouthwash - 8 years ago (I don't know what I was thinking either)

These are the bad things and I won't go into my better side. I am not proud of any of this and hope none of it is immediate DQ. Being new to this I am not sure what to expect when I fill out my background info - is this the type of stuff to tell them? Other than the first point on the list, I have never been in trouble with the law since but as shown above have done illegal acts. Putting it all on one sheet makes me feel like a really terrible person. Any thoughts on this?

Thanks

Your wrap sheet sounds just like mine but the good news is my BI said there is nothing that disqualifies me so far even with all those things. Just be honest because you will have to during the polygragh. Just bight the bullet. You will be OK. I even had a temporary restraining order on me in 2001 and that was not a DQ. Good luck. Im taking the written psych next week;)

[mcsap]

I am considering a job in Law Enforcement as a career move. I am 28, married, one child. I have been sorting through the threads in this section and I know that it has been asked numerous times but I wanted to put my own background out there for scrutiny to see if there are any red flags or if I should continue with this goal.

Bad Points (that I plan on divulging):

Convicted - Melicious mischief when I was 12 or 13. I am not sure but I think it was removed or dropped. Me and a friend tried breaking some vehicle windows in a work yard. Not an issue.

1 at fault traffic accident Minor bruise.

1 traffic ticket within the last 3 years, total of about 5 over 12 years of driving Moderate bruise.

(Not caught) Marijuana use (approx 5 times) between 1999-2000 Moderate bruise.

(Not caught) No DWI but have drove under the influence (1 time for certain @ 20 years old, maybe 2 others borderline) Moderate bruise.

(Not caught) Took some hardware from work for home project (value maybe $20) - 2 years ago Biggest bruise yet.

(Not caught) Took satellite memory card thing from another fraternity in college (don't know value but it gave us free tv for while) - 8 years ago Minor bruise.

(Not caught) Shoplifted mouthwash - 8 years ago (I don't know what I was thinking either) Minor bruise.

These are the bad things and I won't go into my better side. I am not proud of any of this and hope none of it is immediate DQ. Being new to this I am not sure what to expect when I fill out my background info - is this the type of stuff to tell them? Other than the first point on the list, I have never been in trouble with the law since but as shown above have done illegal acts. Putting it all on one sheet makes me feel like a really terrible person. Any thoughts on this?

Thanks

The theft history is your biggest bruise IMHO.

So what POSITIVES do you have to offset the negatives ??

You are going to be going up against a lot of people who dont have all of this baggage which just makes it harder for you to get to the finish line. Not necessarily impossible but you have put yourself at a disadvantage.

[DeltaV]

Stupid things done as a young teen can be overlooked, however the biggest obstacle is theft from an employer relatively recently when you should have known better. Depending on the recency of the at-fault traffic crash and exactly what your traffic tickets were (anything criminal?), that could also be a problem.

[DeltaV]

Your wrap sheet sounds just like mine but the good news is my BI said there is nothing that disqualifies me so far even with all those things. Just be honest because you will have to during the polygragh. Just bight the bullet. You will be OK. I even had a temporary restraining order on me in 2001 and that was not a DQ. Good luck. Im taking the written psych next week;)

A disqualifier is something like being convicted of a felony, a crime of domestic violence, or being dishonorably discharged from the military. Those types of things automatically prevent you from being a LEO. There are very few things that actually DISQUALIFY someone, however that doesn't mean that just because you don't have anything in your background that's a disqualifier you will be suitable for hire.

When hiring decisions are made, the person who is in charge of hiring sorts through all of the applicants in the 'eligible' pile. They review those applicants' entire packages. That means that applicants with clean backgrounds compete with applicants who have less than stellar backgrounds. Who do you think will get the job?

[mcsap]

A disqualifier is something like being convicted of a felony, a crime of domestic violence, or being dishonorably discharged from the military. Those types of things automatically prevent you from being a LEO. There are very few things that actually DISQUALIFY someone, however that doesn't mean that just because you don't have anything in your background that's a disqualifier you will be suitable for hire.

When hiring decisions are made, the person who is in charge of hiring sorts through all of the applicants in the 'eligible' pile. They review those applicants' entire packages. That means that applicants with clean backgrounds compete with applicants who have less than stellar backgrounds. Who do you think will get the job?

It is NOT difficult for someone to meet the minimum hiring standards. But simply because you meet said requirements does NOT put you on level ground with someone who doesn't have near the baggage that some folks bring with them. Your past does matter. Especially , things done as a legal adult.

[chansencc]

Thanks for the input everyone. I am thinking about paying for the hardware I took from my workplace. I don't know what they would say or think after this much time has passed. It would be the right thing to do though.

The traffic accident was 5 or 6 years ago, minor fender bender if that matters.

What is a BI?

[DeltaV]

I am thinking about paying for the hardware I took from my workplace. I don't know what they would say or think after this much time has passed. It would be the right thing to do though.

Why? Because now you're thinking about law enforcement and realize that the theft hurts your chances? If you REALLY thought that paying them for the tools was the right thing to do, you would have done it two years ago (or not taken them to begin with). If I was doing your background investigation (BI), the fact that you're now paying them back for the tools would be meaningless. It's too easy to surmise that you're doing that to help make your background look better and not because you really feel that it's the right thing to do.

I'm not saying that it's not the right thing to do or that you shouldn't do it, however your true motivation for doing it is pretty obvious.

[chansencc]

I'm not saying that it's not the right thing to do or that you shouldn't do it, however your true motivation for doing it is pretty obvious.

I'd be lying if I said that wasn't completely accurate. I guess we will just see what happens.

As far as my good points go which I didn't go into detail with - I am extremely dedicated to everything I engage in. I have always been a very fair person with the ability to discern without making quick judgments. I am typically very calm and don't fly off the handle or panic when things go wrong or confrontation arises. I am a very bright person, albeit one who has made a few stupid choices. I make absolutely no excuses. Ever. This has actually been a downfall of mine in the past. I think sometimes people would rather hear "it's not my fault because _____" instead of "sorry" or "I'll do better next time". At least that has been my perception. I am confident but not cocky, humble but not weak and I am a caring person who has a genuine compassion for others and a heart to serve.

That is my 30 second "strong points" bio.

Edit: Forgot to say thank you for the BI clarification and for being up front with your answers.

[valycop]

I am considering a job in Law Enforcement as a career move. I am 28, married, one child. I have been sorting through the threads in this section and I know that it has been asked numerous times but I wanted to put my own background out there for scrutiny to see if there are any red flags or if I should continue with this goal.

Bad Points (that I plan on divulging):

Convicted - Melicious mischief when I was 12 or 13. I am not sure but I think it was removed or dropped. Me and a friend tried breaking some vehicle windows in a work yard.

1 at fault traffic accident

1 traffic ticket within the last 3 years, total of about 5 over 12 years of driving

(Not caught) Marijuana use (approx 5 times) between 1999-2000

(Not caught) No DWI but have drove under the influence (1 time for certain @ 20 years old, maybe 2 others borderline)

(Not caught) Took some hardware from work for home project (value maybe $20) - 2 years ago

(Not caught) Took satellite memory card thing from another fraternity in college (don't know value but it gave us free tv for while) - 8 years ago

(Not caught) Shoplifted mouthwash - 8 years ago (I don't know what I was thinking either)

These are the bad things and I won't go into my better side. I am not proud of any of this and hope none of it is immediate DQ. Being new to this I am not sure what to expect when I fill out my background info - is this the type of stuff to tell them? Other than the first point on the list, I have never been in trouble with the law since but as shown above have done illegal acts. Putting it all on one sheet makes me feel like a really terrible person. Any thoughts on this?

Thanks

I couldn't help, but see your comment "that I plan on divulging;" got news for you, if you're not completely honest chances are withheld information about your past may be picked up during the polygraph examination. If you intend to withhold information about your past it will come back to haunt you.

[chansencc]

I couldn't help, but see your comment "that I plan on divulging;" got news for you, if you're not completely honest chances are withheld information about your past may be picked up during the polygraph examination. If you intend to withhold information about your past it will come back to haunt you.

Sorry about the confusing comment, and I see your point. I didn't mean that in the sense that "these are the things I plan on divulging", but rather, "this is everything I can think of and I plan on putting everything on the table." Bruises or no bruises I won't be taking a chance with hiding anything.

[valycop]

Sorry about the confusing comment, and I see your point. I didn't mean that in the sense that "these are the things I plan on divulging", but rather, "this is everything I can think of and I plan on putting everything on the table." Bruises or no bruises I won't be taking a chance with hiding anything.

I'm glad you cleared that up; good luck with the application process.

[chansencc]

I'm glad you cleared that up; good luck with the application process.

Thank you valycop! I am hoping that with honesty and persistence this will eventually happen. If I need to show a couple more years to do so, I will be ok with that - disappointed, but ok. I fully respect the demands of the police department with regards to background. Not everyone should be in a position of authority and LE certainly should be held to a much higher standard for obvious reasons.

I have one last question however; how much is age factored in to getting hired? If I apply now and do not get accepted, in two years I will be 30. That is not old by most standards, but what about as a new recruit?

[Laww]

I am just getting set to go to the academy at the young age of 37. So I wish I could turn back 7 years and just be 30. That being said I hear the average age these days for recruits (for the dept I am applying with) is 26-35.

Hope that helps.

[mcsap]

Age can be a plus. A 30 yr old is usually more mature and stable than a 21 yr old. And that is a BIG plus.