DQ Concerns

[AlonzoHarris]

Hello and Thank you so much for taking your time off in your busy schedules to answer my thread. It is greatly appreciated. i would just like to start off by saying i appreciate what police officers do on an everyday basis to keep our communities safe. I have some concerns over my past mistakes of judgement and how it would effect me in my pursuit of a career in Law Enforcement.
When i was 17:
-tried marijuana 3 times
-drank alcohol 3-4 times
-got a fix-it ticket for not having proof of insurance(got it resolved)
-stole 2 cookies worth 2 dollars at my first job (I HONESTLY cannot remember if i put it back or not after my guilty conscience kicked in).

My three biggest concerns:
Got kicked out of a plaza by security guards after being accused of stealing a bottle of beverage. The store was open but the lights were out and the place was deserted. My friend hopped over the counter to grab two bottles of Sobe and we left $1.50 cents on the counter. as we were leaving a janitor called the security guards and we were kicked out.

With the same "friend" we entered Wal-Mart and I was fined $150.00 by bennett law attorney for being with someone who stole a dvd worth $20.00. I honestly did not want any part of it and even told my "friend" I wasn't going to be. The police were not called and i was not arrested. I payed the fine with my debut card over the phone.

Lastly, after i had one can of Coors Light, and after waiting for 30-40 minutes, drove my car to a burger king right down the street. I have no idea why i did not just walk there, simply put, i was an idiot.

All of this happened when i was 17, and if given the chance, i would relive my days of being a 17 year old all over again.

I am 18 years old now going on 19, I've matured greatly since than, i've enrolled myself into my local police explorers program, and plan to apply for a police cadet job before i turn 20 while working as a security guard. When i turn 23, i plan to start applying to my local departments with a BA in Criminology. I also plan to keep the best credit score any departments have ever seen with the best work history.

So my question is what are my chances of being hired when i'm 23 by any local departments within the southern california region? Are any of my past mistakes Auto DQ's?

Again your replies are greatly appreciated.

[GoDirectly2Jail]

No, your past is not an auto-dq.

No, nobody here knows what the job market is going to be like tomorrow, let alone in FIVE YEARS. Just before you apply, come back and fill us in then and you'll get a better answer.

Finally, I know you THINK you've matured a lot in 12 whole months (and who knows, maybe you have), but 18 is still a far cry from 23.

[Trip]

Whenever I see DQ, I always want an ice cream cone. Especially with that thing-a-ma-jig to the left in the forum section.

[AlonzoHarris]

No, your past is not an auto-dq.

No, nobody here knows what the job market is going to be like tomorrow, let alone in FIVE YEARS. Just before you apply, come back and fill us in then and you'll get a better answer.

Finally, I know you THINK you've matured a lot in 12 whole months (and who knows, maybe you have), but 18 is still a far cry from 23.

Thank you for your reply, im glad that nothing in my past is an auto-dq, i realize that getting behind the wheel after a beer is considered a felony, let alone i was underage, so i was worried that might have disqualified me.

[GoDirectly2Jail]

Thank you for your reply, im glad that nothing in my past is an auto-dq, i realize that getting behind the wheel after a beer is considered a felony, let alone i was underage, so i was worried that might have disqualified me.

DUI isn't a felony in Virginia.

[mcsap]

They weren't mistakes , they were choices.

You need to do a lot more to prove that your " life of crime " is behind you. You were JUST 17 and did a bunch if stupid things. Lose your loser friends , take repsonsibility for your past but also your FUTURE. Do GOOD things , as many as you can. Be RESPONSIBLE. You don't need to be a security guard , that doesn't help. If you are going to work ,just have a GOOD work ethic and leave with a good reference.

[tcop733]

Yup, we are a product of the choices we make. Keep making good choices in your young adult life and your dreams of becoming an LEO could be achieved.
Of course, I was practically a Saint throughout my adolescence.

[Chris-]

Thank you for your reply, im glad that nothing in my past is an auto-dq, i realize that getting behind the wheel after a beer is considered a felony, let alone i was underage, so i was worried that might have disqualified me.

A friend (LEO) said this to me when i was concerned about my past DQ'ing me.

You have to make it look better on paper. Right now it just looks like you gave up crime X years ago, and thats it. You want it too look like a total 180, start volunteering, further your education, do whatever you would not have done 4-5 years ago. You want to appear like the complete opposite of what you were.

I paraphrase a bit, but thats his point. And hes right. What you say is one thing, but what you do another. Establish yourself as a reliable person in the work place, get a reputation for volunteering, get smart, learn another language. Do anything you can do now to better yourself, and keep at it for 5 years.

Good luck.