Do depts have to be down to earth in hiring?

[Snowdog311]

Recently a friend of mine just got onto a local police department. He's going though training right now but he's already sworn in. We were talking about the hiring process and how down to earth the people are. We got on the subject of just being kids, i.e. smoking dope, drinking, going to parties, being crazy, and then wanting to become a police officer. He was saying that in a sense, that's almost better for you. It makes you a lot less naive because you've been there before, you know what it's like, you know what the effects are of certain substances and you know how to spot them. He posed this question; "If you were to hire two new police officers for your department how wouild you rather have? Someone who's been there, done that, or someone whos been sheltered all their life?" Now, I want your opinion on this because I know damn sure that there are damn great cops who've never touched anything in their life, and then there are dirty cops of course! How far does this statement go, assuming you've come clean? I agree with it in a sense that it's good to be a kid, just as long as you're not a crack addict or something like that. Thanks.

[mcsap]

Agreed. Few people are "sheltered" to the point that they are completely oblivious to the world around them. You want to get into Law Enforcement, don't be out smokin' dope, drinking and driving etc. I'll take Mr. Clean anyday.

[metallicat]

I would be pissed off if the sole reason I lost the job was because I didn't smoke dope when I was a kid. That would be a stupid reason to not hire someone.

[Lfpdlieu302]

i will have to concur with the statements given above. remember when you join the force, they will show you what to look for, signs of drug abuse etc.. somehow i dont think that telling the judge in court that you knew that a suspect was smoking pot, because he looked a lot like you did when you smoked it would go over very well.

[Snowdog311]

Originally posted by metallicat
I would be pissed off if the sole reason I lost the job was because I didn't smoke dope when I was a kid. That would be a stupid reason to not hire someone.

I never said that. I posed a question of "would it," nothing more, nothing less.