Expert: Chris Wagoner - 8/17/2009

Question
Hello my name is Adam I'm 14 almost 15 I wanted to be a Police Officer for a while now and I've been searching for information and i still cant find what I need to know and that is What do  I need to get (Qualifications) But I don't know what i need so please will you help me ?

Answer
Hi Adam,

Good for you thinking so far ahead and lookign at law enforcememnt.

Let’s start with getting hired by an agency to be a cop. First you have to take an honest look at yourself and your background. If you’re dishonest with yourself, you should not bother applying to an agency as they will find it out anyway.

What will disqualify me from becoming a police Officer???? Well how about what will qualify me?

You need to be at least 19 in some states, and 21 in others. When in doubt look up your states laws or requirements.

You need at least a high school diploma or equivalent. A college degree is better and rates you higher with a police department. I hate to say this but what the degree is in is not that important. While a degree in criminal justice is nice, it’s not going to beat out a Master in some other area of study.
You have to be physically able to perform the job. If you’re on medications read further.

Each and every state has its state laws that cover what you have to have to be a cop. States vary in requirements; some say 19 years old, some 21. Some say you have to have this or that, each has its own. You need to look up the particular state (All 50 STates Laws can be found here!!!) you are thinking of being a cop in and read the law carefully. Also chiefcop on the forum was nice enough to provide links to 49 of the States Police Officer Standards Sites here in this thread: http://forums.officer.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=108913 . If you meet the minimum standards, then you may qualify by law, but then you need to read those things that will disqualify you also. These are things that may or may not be in the state law;

1. Being a convicted felon - As convicted felons cannot carry guns in most cases, it’s hard for the police department to give you one or require you to buy one when it’s illegal for you to have one! Also domestic violence reports or arrest are a DQ. Also I have seen posted here on officer.com the question what if my spouse is a convicted felon? Well I am sorry but 99% of departments will not hire you. Almost everyone has a department policy against associating with felons. And that includes family members. While this in some cases should not apply I am sure, it does. Life is not always fair. Also any Domestic Violence conviction or even a call or two on record of domestic violence. It’s against the law in most states for anyone convicted of Domestic violence to buy/ carry a firearm, and that includes police.
This is from Florida Requirements: Not have been convicted of any felony or of a misdemeanor involving perjury or a false statement, or have received a dishonorable discharge from any of the Armed Forces of the United States. Any person who, after July 1, 1981, pleads guilty or nolo contendere to or is found guilty of any felony or of a misdemeanor involving perjury or a false statement is not eligible for employment or appointment as an officer, notwithstanding suspension of sentence or withholding of adjudication. Notwithstanding this subsection, any person who has pled nolo contendere to a misdemeanor involving a false statement, prior to December 1, 1985, and has had such record sealed or expunged shall not be deemed ineligible for employment or appointment as an officer.
Also having an injunction for domestic violence, or being convicted of domestic violence is almost always a DQ. Being arrested for it is not always one, but most of the time it will be.

2. Some misdemeanors that involve perjury or false statements - It’s hard to let you swear to tell the truth in court when you have already lied. See #1

3. Dishonorable discharges from the military. Self explanatory I think and covered in #1.

4. Having a bad driving record - I mean tickets for things like speeding, reckless or careless driving, or other tickets that show disregard for safety. A history of a lot of tickets also is a no go in most cases. I saw a person post a question and ask if they would qualify after having 8 tickets and being arrested twice for not paying tickets. What do you think! Suspended license are usually a no go also. You should have a clear record for a period of time before you bother to apply or make sure it’s a minor ticket like a taillight out or something. A clear record for 3-5 years will get you by this one, or a minor ticket or two will be OK most of the time. Remember the agency has to trust you with a patrol car that you at times will have to drive in emergency mode, kind of hard to justify that in court when you had reckless driving tickets.

5. Having bad credit – this one is different for different agencies, but all seem to be looking at it more. If you have bad credit (really bad, bankruptcies, or loads of outstanding debt) you are a liability for bribery or other problems. You may at times in this job find yourself handling large sums of cash and being in debt makes you a liability when doing that. The temptation is too much for some in need.

6. Drug use – this is one I get questions about a lot. First let me say again each department may be a little different but most are along the same lines. Hard Drugs used even in the last 20 years is a DQ most of the time, heroin, Speed, LSD, addiction to prescription drugs are a few automatics. Most agencies will not touch you if you were dealing drugs at all (that is a felony, see #1). I actually had a kid ask me if he was DQ’d if he had dealt pot back when he was a teenager (7 years ago), he just admitted to a felony, so of course you can guess the answer. If you used drugs in the last 3 years or so most agencies don’t like it. If you’re 5 or more years out, it depends on what it was and how often. Daily usage is a no no, weekly is still not good. Using a couple of times in a 5 year period is better looking.

7. Past Employment – having 20 jobs in a 5 year period is a no go. You should show some kind of ability to hold a job. Getting fired for failing to show up to work, calling in sick all the time, and having an ex-employer tell us that you were the “worst” employee they ever had does not look to good. Agencies depend on you to show up to work on time and ready to work. So do the other guys/gals on the shift.

8. If you have a MySpace or FaceBook page, make sure it is something you would want your prospective employer to see. They are hiring people (like me) to look them up and give them copies of everything found there. Also do a web search for yourself and any user names that you use or used and see what you find. They are checking things like that. Remember, never write or put anything online that you would not want you’re Boss to see as he/she just might have seen it already!

We had several Deputies get fired because of stuff they had put on their MySpace pages. http://www.wesh.com/news/9400560/detail.html

http://www.associatedcontent.com/art...pace_page.html

That’s a rough guide for qualifying before even bothering to apply. When in doubt you should of course ask the agency you are trying to apply to if something in particular bothers you or you’re not sure if you are disqualified. It is much better to ask BEFORE you even apply to save yourself the time and money, in addition it will come out in the background if you try to hide something, and that of course is an immediate disqualification.

Thats a good start on what you need to do, or not to do as important as those are..