Careers: Police/Criminal Record

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Expert: - 10/6/2009


Question
Hey I've been interested in becoming involved with missing and exploited children and i figured the best way to do this is through law enforcement. A very tragic thing happened in my life which has completely changed the person i was into the person i am now. I do however have a record which is two separate misdemeanor fights and several driving violations. This is all in the past however. I am going to school and entirely changed the person i was. How significantly do you think my past will affect my potential future in law enforcement careers? i am currently 20 years old.

Thank you,
John

Answer
John,

This is probably the question that I receive most often.  There are no "yes" or "no" answers because there are thousands of police departments in this country from the smallest three man departments to the largest like the NYPD.  Each has its own hiring standards.  The best I can do for you is to tell you that your past record certainly not going to help you.  In the larger departments they might have a hiring pool of several hundred to a thousand applicants.  They can afford to consider only those with the spotless records.

Careers: Police

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Jack Toomey

Expertise

U.S.: I am an expert in this category for the purpose of giving young people an idea what the hiring process involves for the position of police officer. I am getting a flood of questions from young people who are being influenced by unrealistic television shows. I'd ask you to consider that when you watch police shows on television that they are NOT realistic and most of what you see does not happen in real life. Please do not ask me about potential jail sentences that you, your friends, or family might receive in court. There is no way for me to know that. I am NOT a probation officer so I cannot answer questions about probation and parole matters. I am a retired police officer with 26 years experience.I worked in a variety of assignments including investigations, homicide, sex crimes, runaway investigations, missing persons, and fraud.I also dealt with the general public during that time giving a wide range of advice on matters such as domestic disputes, problem solving, teenage problems, civil/criminal matters, and dealing with the mentally ill. I am available to give sound and reasonable advice which can solve most problems. Please do not ask me to do homework questions or online interviews. Young people should not rely on the Internet for interviews. Local police officers are normally very agreeable to assist students with interviews and surveys.

Experience

Worked as a police officer/detective for 26 years.

Graduate of the University of Maryland.B.S. in Law Enforcement.Attended numerous schools and training courses involving investigations, interviewing, interrogations, crime detection, domestic violence, and others. Recognized in court as an expert witness.

Received numerous awards during my police career for expert investigations. Handled the most sensitive and confidential investigations. In 1999 I won an award for my work with high school students while working in my new career in a large suburban high school.

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