Expert: Jack Toomey - 3/3/2009

Question
Thank you for taking the time out your schedule to answer my question that I have. I'm 28 years old, I have 5 Years honorable discharge from the Navy and i worked the last 4 years as a Detention Officer for Maricopa County Sheriff's Office.
My question is if I were fired from that job after being placed on Admin leave would I be black balled from all other Agency's for employment?
The reason I was fired, were during my employment as a D.O. I applied for an internal position as a Deputy. during my background I starting thinking like an officer and questioning all that I have done as a youth. I then remember 2 incidents that I had not previously discussed in my initial background check as a D.O. and did not mention it to them when I was going for employment as a Deputy. I did not pass my Polygraph the first time i went for Deputy.I then applied once more and came clean and said that yes I had misinformed you and did not come clean because initially when i did my background i didn't have no LE experience and did not consider purchasing a music player from someone as buying stolen property. Well since I did not tell the truth, I was Place on admin leave for 7 months in which i was terminated for violation of truthfulness policy.
So my Question is for violation of that policy and being place on Admin leave, Do you honestly think I would have a chance of being hired at another agency with all my experience that I have?  Thank you, so much....

Answer
Daniel,

 There is no way to give you a "yes" or "no" answer.  I am sure that you are aware of this but there are thousands of law enforcement departments in this country.  No two have the same hiring standards or policy involving hiring and firing.  That is why your question is so narrowlly focused that its hard to give you an answer.  It would be like asking me if you were fired from 7-11 would you ever be able to get another job in retail.

  This is the problem that I see.  Law enforcement is now getting many more applicants because of the job security and the influx of people who have been laid off from other jobs.  Police departments can be very selective now and take only the cream of the crop when it comes to hiring recruits.  

  I can tell you this with some certainty.  If you were applying for MY department the fact that you had been fired from another law enforcement agency would definintely not help you.  But there would be a slight chance that it might not hurt you.  Again......this would only apply to MY department since it is the only law enforcement agency that I have ever worked for or done applicant investigations.