Expert: Jason Grabill - 1/8/2006

Question
Officer Grabill,
Hello. I emailed you a while ago about an assault incident, which has been handled, but I am curious about something. It would have been pointless to go to court due to lack of evidence but I was thinking the other day and realized that I had made a 911 call. I did not have time to talk to the dispatcher but I put the phone in my pocket, still connected. I don't know how long it stayed connected or what was recorded, but would I have been able to access that recording and would it have been usable as evidence?
On a second note I am still pursuing a job in law enforcement or as an animal control officer. In a few months I am planning on doing a volunteer patrol with the sheriff dept. over the summer and a couple ride alongs. Would this help in the hiring process? (I will probably not apply within the county I am volunteering for, don't know if that makes a difference.) One more thing, do encounters with the police during youth usually result in being disqualified? I was stopped by an officer when I was 12 at 3AM walking down the street in a bad area and ran from him.He had to chase me down and all he did was get my information, brought me home, and that was it. A few months before that I was at an athletic club and the owner called the police accusing me of destruction of property. The officers talked to me and contacted my parents but nothing more came of that either. As far as I know neither of these things is on my record. Other then that, I have not gotten in trouble with the law, so as long as I am honest during the interview about these incidents, should they be alright?
Thanks,
Bailey


Answer
Hi Bailey!  Good to hear from you again.  

 No, you probably won't be able to access the recording.  I say "probably";  you can certainly talk to the communications center, however, and see if you can get a copy of the tape, if they have it.  They may or may not.  

 Glad to hear you are still going after the LEO jobs!  Yes, doing ridealongs helps, it lets the agency know you are interested.  Some agencies actually require you to do them as part of the hiring process.

 As far as your youthful police encounter, it sounds like you weren't arrested or charged.  Explain what happened, exactly like you did for me here on your background check.  Be honest, and I don't see this as any sort of issue.

 Good luck, and keep me updated!

Best Regards,

Jason