Expert: Chris Wagoner - 12/12/2011

Question
Good afternoon sir.
First i would like to say thank you for your post. I have some concerns regarding my past now that i am trying to become a police officer
1-I was a security guard from April 2008 to October 2008 a man broke into the site where i worked we got into a fight he ran i made a stupid  mistake and went after him trying to get his tag plate i got in a crash; after review of the incident i was fired for abandoning my post and using an unauthorized weapon (taster).

2- I joined the Army in early 2010 completed basic and wait went to my unit getting ready for deployment I received a red-cross letter stating that my father shot multiple times in the while driving a cab in Miami. a week later a received another message stating that my mother had a stoke. I was discharged due to family hardship with an Honorable discharge in November 2010.

3- march 2008 i got a speeding ticket on I-75 (110 in a amphora)

4- August 2008 careless driving ticket on I-75 My drivers license was revoked for three months.
Its been three since my last driving infraction.

5- My freshman year in high school (2004) i smoked weed once and i tried spice twice in 2009.

I intend on being truthful on both application and polygraph i would like to know what would you think of me as a candidate for a police officer. I recently graduated from the police academy but i am not yet employed by any agency. I live in Florida but i am willing to relocate i just want to serve my country. Thank you for taking the time to read this,
James

Answer
Good afternoon James,

Let's address your concerns one by one:

1-I was a security guard from April 2008 to October 2008 a man broke into the site where i worked we got into a fight he ran i made a stupid  mistake and went after him trying to get his tag plate i got in a crash; after review of the incident i was fired for abandoning my post and using an unauthorized weapon (taster).

If you are not charged with a crime in this incident than it really has no bearing except for the fact that you were fired from a job. They will look at this is as simple termination unless you bring up the circumstances surrounding it and explain why. Even then I don't think it's going to be a big issue.

2- I joined the Army in early 2010 completed basic and wait went to my unit getting ready for deployment I received a red-cross letter stating that my father shot multiple times in the while driving a cab in Miami. a week later a received another message stating that my mother had a stoke. I was discharged due to family hardship with an Honorable discharge in November 2010.

You state that you were discharged with an honorable discharge in November of 2010. In honorable discharges never an issue. If they ask why he only served a year it's a simple statement that it was a hardship discharge due to illnesses in your family, and that he received an honorable discharge. I would leave it at that and this becomes a non-issue.

3- march 2008 i got a speeding ticket on I-75 (110 in a amphora)
4- August 2008 careless driving ticket on I-75 My drivers license was revoked for three months.
Its been three since my last driving infraction.

I take it you are trying to say that it's been three years since your last driving infraction. If those are your only two citations than I think you would be okay all except for the fact that your drivers license was revoked for three months. The revocation of a drivers license for some agencies is an automatic disqualification. You will have to check with the local agency were you are applying to find this out but it is not always a disqualifier.

5- My freshman year in high school (2004) i smoked weed once and i tried spice twice in 2009.

these are very minor uses of illegal substances and will not be an issue or a disqualifier for 99% of the agencies.

I hope that answers your questions in more detail. If you have any more or want further clarification feel free to post follow up here.I'm very sorry to hear about your family problems, I hope all is working out well for you now.