Careers: Police/law enforcement

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Expert: - 9/26/2009


Question
I have three things on my adult record. Possession of drug paraphernalia. This charge was Nolle Prossed(dismissed and dropped by the courts and state). The second charge is carrying a concealed weapon which reduced to a civil infraction,a $250 fine. The third is littering. I was confined in the county jail for two days because of this. I posted bail of $100 and went to first appearance. The charge of littering was dismissed and my bond money was refunded. The file was was purged from my record by the state. Why am I having such a hard time finding work as an police officer? I have no felonies. I have been puting out application after application with no success.

Answer
The reason that you are having a difficult time getting hired as a police officer is because of your criminal record and more importantly the nature of the charges.  No department is going to hire someone who has a record like you and has spent time in jail.  

A police department has hundreds of candidates.  They can afford to take only the best applicants, those without a perfectly clean record, and a spotless background.  Think about this.  Lets say that you did get hired.  Any time that you testified in court your prior record would be brought up to impeach your testimony and no prosecutor would ever call you as a witness.  Police departments know this and that is why you are having a difficult time.

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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