Expert: William Payne - 10/26/2007

Question
Dear William,

My name is James and I am 27 years old. I have a strong desire to become a police officer and I am going through the application process now. Something that concerns me a great deal is the fact the I was charged with theft when I was 19 years old. I completed a PTI program (first time offenders) and I was never convicted of the charge. I was able to have that charge expunged from my record but I know the question will come up if I have ever been convicted of any crime. I would like to be perfectly honest as I realized I made the mistake but I don't want to prevent myself from getting the job. Will my background check reveal that I had a charge expunged and do I need to check that I was convicted of a crime. Any information you can provide me with is greatly appreciated as I am determined to make a career in law enforcement if possible. Do you think this will prevent me from ever becoming a cop?

Thank you!

Answer
James,

Thanks for the question.

I apologize for taking so long to get back with you, I was on emergency leave and I am now back.

Whatever you do, don't lie on your application. If the application requests something answer it truthfully. Some application packages will ask you to list all convictions even if it was expunged and some will say list all except expunged. If the application package you have does not indicate which, you need to decide what to do.

If your criminal record was expunged, there should be no record of your arrest on file at the arresting agency nor in any criminal databases.

There really is no way of saying what you should do other than telling the truth when asked. Remember, if you lie on your application package, it could be grounds for a later termination or not even getting past the interview process.

Good luck and best wishes!