Expert: Eric Potts - 5/20/2008

Question
hi,I have been wanting to become a police officer since I was about 5 and would like to go for the job. But when I was younger I made some immature and bad mistakes. I went down the wrong road for a short time in my adolescence. I had experimented with marijuana a few times, and when I was 16 I was with a wrong crowd which committed  a break-in and i was charged with a felony for my presence at the seen.I do not condone what I had done. I am not saying I was wrongfully accused.Just stating the facts as best as I can. It was a deferred charge and is now expunged because of the circumstances.My voting rights and all that have been fully restored. It was my only charge which is still the only charge I have ever had and that I did not have a direct hand in the base of the crime. I was charged with a felony but was underage and I believe that it does not make me a felon.I dont know for sure though. maybe you could say whether or not I am correct... which that would of course be grounds for disqualification.(if the law still sees me as a felon) I have learned alot for my wrong decisions and have been on the right road for a good amount of time now. I want to go to college and obtain a criminaljustice degree before I would become a police officer. But I do not wish to waste my time doing so, if I would be disqualified for having a some-what shady past.Any other information that may also help-such as things I may need to do in order to become an officer of the law. I would greatly appreciate any information you could send my way. thank you for your time, Andrew.

Answer
Hi Andrew,

Often times when we are young we do things that we later regret in life, some times worse than others. It is important that we learn from our mistakes and be sure that those lessons steer us down the right path later in life.

Understanding that people make mistakes, especially when young, Police Departments will over look certain digressions in the hiring process if enough time has passed and the individual has shown that they truly have learned from their mistakes and there has been no repeat of that offense or any others. That being said, some offenses are too substantial to overlook and will always preclude a person from employment with a Police Department. I'm not saying this is the case with you because, as a person that does background checks for candidates  with our Police Department, I would want to read the entire case file. IF everything you state above is true than I don't see any reason you could not become a Police Officer in time.

None of this is meant to discourage you, on the contrary, I would encourage you to stay on the right path, continue your education, and pursue your dream of becoming a Police Officer.  

Good Luck.

Eric