Expert: Jason Grabill - 8/24/2009

Question
Thanks for taking my question Mr. Grabill. I was wondering if you could fill me in on Baltimore City's marijuana policy as far as number of times used and last time used. Also, I applied several months ago to an MD correctional institution, but did not meet the guidelines and was rejected. Unfortunately, I was far enough in the process where they fingerprinted me and have background info on me such as drug usage, etc. I'm assuming that my prints are now in the system even though they weren't there before, I was not hired, and have NEVER been fingerprinted in the past for any reason. I will be applying to police departments around MD and I do not plan on telling the next place I apply to that I was rejected from the department of corrections if they don't ask me. If I make it far enough at a police department and they go to fingerprint me are they going to find that my prints are already in the system, that I had applied to the DOC, and have access to my background information (drug use, etc.) that I disclosed to the DOC?

Answer
Lee:

 First off, I cannot advocate lying to another agency about your past rejections, if you are discovered (the odds are NOT in your favor I'm afraid, because you just don't know who is going to blurt something out to a background investigator) you will be dumped from the process for lying, and never be able to apply to that agency again.

 I do not know what Baltimore City's policy is regarding drug use.  I do know that the Maryland Police Training Commission has a set 'limit', and it's shockingly low from what I understand.  I also know that if you have 'smoked' in the last 2 years you are pretty much a DQ for just about any agency.

 I can also say that once you start lying about this stuff, it's going to come out in the mandatory polygraph.  Once you fail that, you are, again, done.

 I'd encourage you to be 100 percent honest.  Even if it means not working as a LEO, that's better than being midway through an academy and getting fired 'for cause' because you lied on an application.  

Jason