Doing a self background check??

[NavyGuyMA3]

Hello again... just a bit of background on me before my question:

I'm 23 and serving in the Navy, military police, E-4. I get out in about 9 months and I'm gradually doing what I can to make myself a potential hire at various PDs. (going to school, staying out of trouble, etc.)

So my is mostly regarding traffic/parking tickets. As I was going through an application to see what kind of questions it asks, they asked "Do you have any unpaid parking tickets" Yes/No

I can't honestly answer that question... I got a few parking tickets when I was a teenager that I (think I???) paid. Also I got 2-3 speeding tickets, a ticket for a headlight being out, and had my license suspended for 1 day because I didn't pay the ticket for the headlight (Yes, again, I was a stupid broke teenager)

Keep in mind all of this happened when I was in my teens from roughly 2003-2006 and I have spent the last +/- 4 years in the Navy with no tickets or anything of that nature.

So on to my question... exactly what information would I find out if I paid a group to do a background check on myself? I'm not asking this because I plan on lying about a ticket I got when I was 17, that would be foolish. I'm asking so when I check the "No I do not have any unpaid parking tickets" box I know it is 100% true.

Also, I honestly don't remember exactly how many speeding tickets I recieved (at least 2 but no more than 4) or what the fines were or how fast I was going or anything of that nature.


I also have a security clearance so obviously I'm not wanted or anything... right? lol

So a background check would just reveal criminal history? And a drivers abstract would just reveal tickets I received? Would I have to call each local PD, sherrifs office and the State Troopers and ask them "Hey do I owe you guys any money?" ???

Any help/insight would be appreciated and sorry for the long winded post :P

MA3

[NavyGuyMA3]

Also one more thing about the "suspension" (if you can call it that) :/ lol

I owed XX dollars for my ticket for my headlight being out that a Trooper issued me. I was supposed to either show up with the form signed by an LE saying it was fixed with a certain time period, or pay the fine of XX dollars by such-and-such a date or be suspended. I showed up on the date I was supposed to be suspended on and talked to the judge, he looked at my papers and said "oh you've been suspended" and I believe I paid an extra fee or something to get my license back to normal.

If I recall I had the form signed by another trooper saying my headlight was fixed and I gave that to the judge, but to be perfectly honest I don't really remember. I was hoping someone could shine some light on self background checks so it can jog my memory and I make sure I'm 100% accurate on my application and don't "forget" anything.

Thanks again

MA3

[Joeyd6]

You know where you lived. Why pay somebody when all you have to do is:
1) Obtain a drivers abstract from the state DMV's you live din; and
2) Call all the court clerks in each jurisdiction you lived/played and ask them to see if you have any outstanding tickets.

[NavyGuyMA3]

Ok, seems easy enough to do I suppose. I know I've never been arrested or anything like that so I guess all a background check would pull up is ticket information. I've been told it's a good idea to do a background check on yourself before turning applications in so I guess it couldn't hurt anything besides my wallet.

Thanks again

[Kimble]

I've been told it's a good idea to do a background check on yourself before turning applications in so I guess it couldn't hurt anything besides my wallet.

Told that by whom? Joey has explained how to discover if you have any unpaid tickets, and you would know if you've been arrested for a crime or not (unless you have so many arrests you can't keep track of them).

Seems like a waste of money to me, but if it makes you sleep better at night, go ahead.

[retdetsgt]

Yeah, I knew what my background was, I'd lived it. As Joey said, get a copy of your DMV record if you're worried. The important thing is to be up front on the application, they usually have boxes available to explain concerns you have.

I think I had one ticket and I told them when I 'thought" I got it, I really didn't remember. That found out when they got my DMV report.

I know you're proud of that security clearance, but in reality, nobody is going to care. You can have an awful driving record, be suspended, etc and that won't affect your clearance. The good news is, a lot of teenage stuff can be forgiven if you've kept your nose clean (including traffic) the last 4 years. The bad news is, if you have any unpaid tickets, you will not be smiled upon by any department.

[Kimble]

I know you're proud of that security clearance, but in reality, nobody is going to care. You can have an awful driving record, be suspended, etc and that won't affect your clearance. The good news is, a lot of teenage stuff can be forgiven if you've kept your nose clean (including traffic) the last 4 years. The bad news is, if you have any unpaid tickets, you will not be smiled upon by any department.

Exactly. At my first department, we had a guy apply who worked for the government and had an active Top Secret sercurity clearance, but failed the background investigation. Having a government security clearance is not equivalent to passing a law enforcement suitability investigation. For former requires a background investigation to see if you can be trusted with classified info, the latter requires a unique background investigation that probes your life to see if you can be given authority to take other people's freedoms away.

[retdetsgt]

Having a government security clearance is not equivalent to passing a law enforcement suitability investigation.

I have never, ever been asked what security clearance I held. Even in the military, they already knew if they needed to and weren't going to take my word for it. And outside the military, I've never seen it on any kind of application for anything.

[NavyGuyMA3]

Hmmm interesting point... I just assumed that when they did a background check for a security clearance they would know if I had a bench warrant out for unpaid tickets or something (not that I think I do) and that would result in not receiving a clearance. There's a little bit more to my clearance credentials and all but I'm not going to go in to it on the internet haha but as you said it won't matter anyway.

Also, I read the "so you want to become a cop" guide on these forums and that's where I was told doing a background check on yourself would be advisable.

In any event I'm going to stop over thinking everything and just work on be trooper... I think I would be a top candidate because of my background and all so I'm going to stop sweating the small stuff and just make sure I'm squared away before I apply.

Thanks again

[Joeyd6]

Hmmm interesting point... I just assumed that when they did a background check for a security clearance they would know if I had a bench warrant out for unpaid tickets or something (not that I think I do) and that would result in not receiving a clearance. There's a little bit more to my clearance credentials and all but I'm not going to go in to it on the internet haha but as you said it won't matter anyway.

Trust us...many of us on here hole Top Secret clearances. We know the deal. That is why our agency did a background and the US-OPM did a security clearance investigation. Two seperate things...ones about trust....and teh other is about what you have done/who you assoicate with and what you do. Passing one has nothing to do with passing teh other as Kimble explained. They are seperate hurdles to overcome.

[Kimble]

There's a little bit more to my clearance credentials and all but I'm not going to go in to it on the internet haha but as you said it won't matter anyway.

I work for the federal LE agency that adjudicates security clearances for the Dept of the Navy, so I know full well what your security clearance entails (including those for MA's like yourself), and also how it differs from a law enforcement background investigation. You may think you have it all figured out, but we're not talking out of our @sses here.

Having a security clearance may be something you think is cool to tell to girls at a party, but it won't win you any special brownie points when you apply for a civilian law enforcement job requiring a suitability background investigation.

[NavyGuyMA3]

I never said or acted like it was "cool to tell girls at a party" I just thought (incorrectly) that it would help me get hired as a Trooper...

[Kimble]

I never said or acted like it was "cool to tell girls at a party" I just thought (incorrectly) that it would help me get hired as a Trooper...

No, you didn't, I'll grant you that. But your comment, "There's a little bit more to my clearance credentials and all but I'm not going to go in to it on the internet" came across as though having a USG security clearance is a mystical process that we don't or couldn't understand. Several of us here know full well what the process of having a clearance entails, either because we currently have a USG security clearance, or did in a former life in the military.

There's nothing wrong with you asking a question or wrongly assuming a security clearance would be more help than it was. But let's also not make a security clearance out to be something us in civilian law enforcement are unable to understand, because many of us (if not most of us) do quite well.

[NavyGuyMA3]

No, you misunderstood. Yes I have a security clearance but there are other aspects involving my "clearance" about my job that may or may not help my case, especially with the feds but I'm not willing to go in to further details on the internet.

Edit: and whoever bad rep'd me for "nice attitude" it seems someone is too sensitive lol