Expert: Jack Toomey - 1/2/2012

Question
Okay so I’m going to try to make this as detailed as possible along with key points so this doesn’t get boring to you. I believe I am fully capable of assuming all duties and responsibilities as a police officer in California but I have some things in my past that are really bothering me. So here it goes:

First and foremost I am currently enlisted in the United States Navy. I intend on getting honorably discharged in approximately eleven months. I have never been in trouble while serving my country. I have good conduct all across the board, never went to mast, DRB, XOI or anything. I’ve been a great worker and asset to my division. I know this honorable discharge is going to look great on my resume'. Prior to joining the service I was a Police Explorer for my local police department. I was eighteen when I joined the explorer program but, I wish I knew about it sooner. Anyways, so I did my term there in which I was skeptical at first before joining. I knew I wanted to do something with my life that helped people and brought service, that’s another reason why I joined the service. I absolutely fell in love with law enforcement as soon as I walked in the door as a recruit. I excelled with the explorer program. I graduated from the police explorer academy with great grades. I ultimately promoted to Captain of my post, and led my team to several first place trophies and overall performances in explorer competitions. The scenarios included hostage negotiations, active shooter, high risk felony stops, suspicious person, marijuana garden raid and I can go on and on. So I finish my term with the explorer post honorably. Along with that, I have plenty of letters of recommendations from the mayor, city council and the boy scouts of America for a job well done. After the explorers I joined the service.

I was twenty years old when I got out of the explorer program and I was also twenty years old when I enlisted. During my time since I departed I have continued to keep in touch with my former advisors. Throughout my explorer days and even until now I have gone on constant ride alongs with my local department and built great relationships as far as networking. I still go on ride alongs until this day so I have been active in my pursuit to be a police officer. I’ve also gone with other departments to ride on my off time and helped out swat teams with scenarios in which they need volunteers for victim’s sake. My cousin is also a police officer for a police department in which imp interested in.

So here goes the fun part about getting hired and my past. Everything sounds great up above right? Well I wish that’s all they can look at. Okay, so I’ve NEVER been arrested for anything. I’m 23 now and I first got my license when I was 16 years old. In seven years I only have two tickets. One for a moving violation and one for speeding. The moving violation I did traffic school for and the speeding I took care of it but couldn’t do traffic school because I deployed a week later. Now comes the hard part for me to admit because I am ashamed of a few things regarding my past but I won’t lie about anything. When I was 17 I experienced with marijuana 5 times, no more than that. But, that’s not what I’m afraid of. During a very rough point in my life I got into an argument with my dad, he pretty much told me to leave the house. So I went to my friend’s house to vent and just get away. Long story short I was peered pressured into doing a small thumbnail line of "coke." it was horrible. I didn’t feel high at all, all I can think about is how I violated the way I was raised and it wasn’t me. So I realized that and I cried and ran all the way to my girlfriend’s house at the time. I vented to her and told her I was sorry for letting her down and hoe disgusted I felt. So there it is. I did marijuana and one stupid thing of coke. I NEVER sold drugs at all. Drugs have never been in my possession for sale and I have never conducted a transaction. Unfortunately I grew up in a rough neighborhood with horrible friends. A couple of them were drug dealers but I never got involved with dealing drugs myself. I was the only one who had a license and a car but I never transported drugs. There is this one time I recall though that I was driving just like I would always drive my friends around. Either to go to the mall, the movies and other places where teenagers go. So there was this one time where I was driving and my friend, who was a small time drug dealer, didn’t make large amounts of money off it he just sold to fellow friends. So anyways me, being the Ginny pig and always driving my friends around not only him. He told me to go to the park really quick in which I did. And I saw him do a transaction. I felt it was wrong just being there I didn’t like it at all and he sold to my cousin. That was the last time and only time that I drove him to a transaction. I didn’t want that life; I didn’t want to be around that. I was sixteen when that happened. But, I’m worried that would seal the deal for me in backgrounds. Like I said, I NEVER sold any type of drug; I have NEVER bought drugs or anything. But I drove that one time and that freaks me out!!! This was seven years ago. I don’t talk to these people no more or hang out with them. I completely turned around and two years later at 18 and became a police explorer and excelled to the top!

another thing that bothers me, which I actually just thought of right now is when I was about 12-13 years old me and my step brother always tend to do dumb things. Like to petty thefts from the local Target. We stole legos, and little toys. Earrings and things like that but I haven’t stolen since I was 13. Around the same age I and my step brother always loved to go into this abandoned car in our apartment complex. This car was completely abandoned. Never driven, always had spider webs on the tires, inside and stuff like that. We would always pretend that we are driving, that’s why we liked hanging out in there. Well one time when I was about 13 years old. We did our usual routine in getting into this car, it was always open. And we discovered a bunch of inflatable mattresses. Like about ten or so. It was Christmas time. The car still had not moved. Anyways so we decided to take a couple and give it to our parents for Christmas since we didn’t have money to buy them anything. The thing is, all the things that I think that are wrong happened when I was a minor. I didn’t know what I wanted, and I was young and dumb I guess you can say. But, now imp regretting these little flaws I had growing up.

I’m a great leader. In high school I played football and ran track. Won state my junior year got third place in 400 relay races in the valley and I’ve always tried to be a good remodel for my siblings. I had horrible friends as a teenager and I really regret my teenage years. There is one more thing that bothers me too. As for the Navy I feel like it has tremendously helped me out transforming me into the man I truly wanted to be. An honorable person, a veteran. One who can take and execute orders from the higher chain of command. I’ve displayed commitment and courage in working around stressful situations. I have two deployments under my belt and conducted humanitarian efforts in Haiti when the earthquake struck in early 2010. But one of my deployments we were out to sea and long story short again me and all my brother in arms went out in foreign countries and got involved with women needless to say. Being out to sea for 90 days and you hit a port; it’s nice to have some female company. To me it looked normal because you saw chiefs, master chiefs all the way up and down the chain of command hanging out with these women in foreign countries and as military personnel that was the thing I guess and seemed that was the military and navy way. Looking back I shouldn’t have engaged these women, in a 6 month period out to sea I engaged in 4 encounters. That’s very embarrassing for me to reveal but it’s the truth. And it’s not my character to do so. I’m ashamed of that too and it will never happen again and that’s something that I personally promised myself.

So being a former captain police explorer, and then having military experience along with an honorable discharge. Including my off time efforts in taking ride alongs and doing training with different agencies. How would my past affect the hiring process? Am I automatically disqualified? Do I look like a worthy candidate? I seriously want this with all my heart and soul. My biggest reason in joining the military was to get out of Los Angeles, leave the people behind and cut off my past and create a new and noble life. During the explorer years I informed my advisors about the drug experiments a year prior and it was a huge thing. They honestly went to battle for me! They asked the chief about the situation and pretty much stood up for me. And the chief said I would still be able to be a police officer in the future, that I needed time of course and it’s now been 7 years since I touched any drug. I didn’t say anything about a couple people I knew being drug dealers and me being the Ginny pig with the only car. Like I said that was a onetime incident and I NEVER personally had drugs in my possession, or sold, or did any transaction involving drugs. I don’t even know how to measure them or anything. I’m really worried but like I said, this is my dream. I will do whatever it takes but I want an expert’s opinion. I’m also half way done in getting my associates degree. Please let me know if this is grounds for DQ or if I still have a fighting chance? If all goes south, I will put myself through the academy with my own money just so I can show them that I truly want this and I’m determined to be a police officer. I’ve made mistakes, even kind of recent ones on deployment. But I’ve learned from it. I’ve learned from my past and I can honestly say that I’m a better man because of the explorer post and the military with an honorable discharge. Thank you so much and I hope to get your feedback soon. Would you hire me? If you ran a police department?  Thank you so much sir for taking your time to help me out. Thank you


Daniel

Answer
Daniel,

You really could have saved yourself a lot of time and trouble if you would have simply listed your faults.  You also need to know that there are thousands of police departments in this country and each has its own hiring standards.  Even though you were a police explorer it does not mean that you have the aptitude to be a police officer.  That may come as a shock but I am very aware of the police explorer program.  I also recall that some thought that by  doing well meant that it was a free ticket to the academy.  It isn't.  In fact an super interest in police work can sometimes work against a candidate.

Now you might think that I am making fun of you but I am not.  As an applicant investigator I had several cases like yours.

Now on to your drug use and knowing a drug dealer.  I cannot speak for EVERY department in the nation but my own department would forgive a few uses of recreational drugs.  Either way you will have to be upfront with whatever department that hires you because the polygraph will eventually get you.  

In this economy there are thousands of people who are applying for police work who would not normally done it before.  Departments can afford to be selective.  

The best that I can do for you is to tell you that your youthful drug use  will not help you.  But they probably will not hurt you.