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Question
QUESTION: Do they discriminate if you take prescribe prescriptions such as valium for anxiety?
ANSWER: You are going to have to give me more information than one sentence.
Who is "they"? What do you mean by "discriminate"?
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QUESTION: They meaning police department, csi, and discrimiate meaning not hiring you because of the medication. Thanks
Ok there are several things that you need to understand. There are thousands of police departments in this country. No two have the same hiring standards. What might be true for your county/town/city might not be true for my department. There are no national standards.
You probably do not mean "discriminate" which would imply an unlawful act by a government agency. You probably mean "disqualify".
I also should mention that there is no such thing as CSI as depicted on television. While there are crime scene technicians these officers have been on the department for many years and have gained the experience needed for that type of work.
Now to your specific question. As I said each department has a different standard. Having a diagnosed anxiety disorder COULD be an automatic disqualifer for some departments. But if you are thinking about applying for a specific department I'd suggest that you get a letter from your doctor in which he states that you could perform the duties of police officer. It could help you.
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Answers by Expert:
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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