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Question
My husband is 29, soon to be 30. He is currently going to aviation school to fly helicopters and wants to join the CHP to hopefully fly for them one day. He has no criminal history but, did experiment with a variety of drugs when he was younger. It has been 8-10 yrs since he has done any drugs. We are wondering if law enforcement agencies may be more apt to look past this if a candidate has special credentials or skills (such as pilot license, instrument ratings etc.) or are all candidates looked at the same?
Jessica,
I am sorry but I have absolutely no knowledge on the hiring standards in California. I have never even been to to California. There are thousands of police departments in this country from the smallest three man departments to the large 25,000 man departments on the east coast. Each has its own hiring criteria. My suggestion would be to simply call the police department that your husband is interested in and asking them your question to save him alot of future frustration.
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| Rating(1-10) | Knowledgeability = 10 | Clarity of Response = 10 | Politeness = 10 |
| Comment | I meant this question as a general overall type question, not just in CA. But, I have found what you wrote to be true, all dept. seem to be different. The sheriff dept. out here does not require you even be a sherrif to fly for them...thanks again for your time sir. | ||
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Answers by Expert:
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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