My Background

[rob1982]

Just wondering- what if someone has taken pills or stronger drugs? Would this usually be a lifetime ban or the 3-5 years? Just wondering because I have seen marijuana brought up a bunch but never anything worse.
Thanks
Rob

[FutureRookie]

Thanks Charlie.

[lnichols]

every department that has a web page tells you about their drug policy. Rob all the police departments i've looked at will look at the pot issue and steriods but anything else it's a d.q and it doesn't matter how long ago it was. You could of used LSD 15 years ago and it's still a d.q.

[FutureRookie]

Maybe the ones YOU looked at...otherwise I find it hard believe...

[121Traffic]

Hard drugs is almost always a minimum of 3-6 years from last use. Maybe some of the departments YOU looked at only require 1-2 years...otherwise I find it hard to believe.

[rob1982]

I was just curious. I've seen a lot of people talk about using marijuana but I've never really seen many people say they want to be a cop but were worried about taking pills in high school. It definitely would be a hard decision for a department to take someone who done cocaine or pills but a person could change. I think that would be a good question for a verified LEO to comment on.
Thanks
Rob

[K9 Police]

Sorry it took awhile to respond FutureRookie.

We do not know your drug history, criminal history, educational history, professional history, etc. I can not judge you base on statements that you make over a law enforcement forum, because I am not getting all the information that I would need to make a correct determination. You can give items regarding what you did and you will get feedback from officers and others in the process. They may be right, and they may be wrong. With that said, there is a reason why departments take six months to a couple years to hire an officer. There is a ton of work involved that can not even begin to be started on this forum.

I gave you some helpful hints, but here are some again. If I was in your position, the first thing I would do is be honest with myself and what I have done. This is your life, you made your decisions, you have to deal with the consequences. This is not just in regards to law enforcement, but in life in general. When you screw up in law enforcement, and you will just like everyone else, you will have to face the consequences of your mistakes. Same holds true in the hiring of a law enforcement officer.

You know what you have done. The first step to take would be to go to the POST or licensing committe of the state that you would be applying to for a law enforcement position. Go to http://www.iadlest.org/posts.htm and click the state that you are applying to. You will get the POST board of that state. When you get there, there is usually a section that indicates what is an automatic disqualification when considering an application. This can differ from state to state, and is one of the problems of a law enforcement forum with LEOs posting from all over the world. Find out if you meet the minimum requirements of what they indicate. If you pass everything, including the requirements for drugs, go onto the next step.

The next step for me would to find the law enforcement agency or agencies that you are interested in. Almost every agency has a website these days, and usually with a link to a hiring process section. Go to that section, and you will usually find what that departments requires and/or expects from an applicant. This can range from age, to education, to work requirements, to criminal history, to drug abuse, etc. Find a department that lists these and see if you would pass what that specific department would require. Remember, this is usually the "minimum" of what they want from an applicant, but it is a start.

After that, as I indicated earlier, call a recruiter or someone involved in the process. This would be your best bet if you wanted to get some information. LEOs are very busy, and I find sometimes the best way to get in contact with someone is through email. Email the recruiter or someone in the department and see if you get a response. No response then call. Going on a ride-along may help, as the LEO will know specifics about the department and the process.

You can also call or email police recruit schools or academies in your area. If you have certify yourself, you are also going to have to pass certain minimum requirements. Usually these requirements are the same as the POST board requirements. Makes sense to me.

When it comes down to it you will never know until you actually go through the process. You may be rejected everywhere you go, or you may be hired with the first department you apply to. I believe that a lot depends on the other applicants and their quality and/or quantity. A lot of people who ask me personally about getting hired, I usually tell them that every person is a book. You can't tell them from the cover, but everyone has a different story. It is the job of the hiring agency to determine out of all the books who best fits their department. It may be you, it may be someone else. In the end, we have all made mistakes. We have all (well, if not most) have wondered if we will ever get hired; I know I did. And going to a forum like this, we would hope to find affirming answers to our question, especially from law enforcement officers. But you are going to get different answers, some will say no, some will say yes, some will say you might have to wait, etc. I sometimes think you will get a different answer from a different poster everytime.

You will always fail if you never try. Try and if you succeed, I wish all the best in your career. If you continually try and are not successful, the drugs may be it. You can ask and see if that is the case when you apply. But at least you tried. I have seen applicants hired with OWI convictions in their background, which means they were arrested and found guilty and still hired. In all honesty, officers I know now tell me stuff that they have done and I am surprised that they got hired, but they did and they are excellent officers.

My other suggestion would be to make yourself the best applicant possible. No exact criteria to that either. Again, my opinion, I would get a four year degree. While in that, do some volunteer activities in the community. Try to get on with a law enforcement agency in some type of non-sworn capacity (Internship, Reserve Officer, Community Service Officer, Park Patrol Agent; if any of those are available). Make contacts, go on ride-alongs. If you have to, become certified yourself.

And that my friend, is only my opinion. Good luck.

K9

[FutureRookie]

Thanks K9, you always have the best words to read. I was talking to a cop Saturday night and he told me to call him and to go on a ride along. I will take your advice for sure, I totally agree and exactly what my Dad said was you will fail if you never try and that the worst thing is you wont be a cop right away and your not a cop now...and more then that to...my Dad is that "very stern, never wrong" Marine and a very successful business man running 3 seperate computer businesses. I will take your advice, and I really appreciate all the great advice and input K9.

Thank You Very Much,

FutureRookie <--I will be...

[Yankeefan]

Hello everyone,

I'm a 26 year old male from N.Y. who is planing on moving to L.A. to become L.A.P.D. Everyone here thinks I'm crazy but I just want A big change in my life and I feel L.A. is the place for me. I have taken many police test from NYPD to Washington PD and have pass them all but in the end I'm choosing to Try and become an LAPD officer. My background is clean Never been arrested or gottten into trouble. I have very close friends that are on the Police force here including my good friend who works intel for the Mayor's office that I will use as a refrence. One question that I have is that in 1994 i tried Marijuana and never touched it EVER again. Will that give me a problem when trying to apply with LAPD. ANd do they give a polygraph test because if they do I dont really feel comfortable lying and I read somewhere that as long it wasnt in the last 2-3 years they overlook it. I have tons of more questions but since Im new to this ill start off with that one about the drug use...Hope to hear from someone soon....Thanks

[FutureRookie]

You wont have any problems...also if you do have to do a polygraph just be totally honest...there are only like 10-15 questions where I'm from and they are all yes and no. Just be honest and you'll be ok.

Good Luck,

FutureRookie

ps- LAPD is where I'm wanting to go to...maybe we'll know eachother someday...just a thought.

[Yankeefan]

Thanks for the info FutureRookie, who know's we might be partners in a couple of years.......I was reading up on some post and I noticed that they kept saying that there is some sort of freeze over there in L.A. I was wondering do u know anything about that... hopefully i'll be moving out there by the end of the year but if thats the case I heard there are alot of other PD Departments that are always hiring to so I guess i'll just have to wait in see.........

WEATHER UPDATE FROM NEW YORK:10 INCHES OF SNOW WITH MORE TO COME......................

[FutureRookie]

Never know, we could be partners...I haven't heard anything about this...I would like to move their at some point, just have to be patient for now.

FutureRookie

[lnichols]

L.A.P.D has a polygraph, using pot once should not be a problem. L.A.P.D is very hard to get into and they d.q. for a lot of little reasons.

[Yankeefan]

I guess patience will have to do for now FutureRookie........................

Thanks for the input lnichols..... I guess once im out there if I cant get in LAPD Ill apply for other dept. around LA like pasadena, ect........