Expert: William Payne - 5/12/2006

Question
Hello Mr. Payne,
My name is Chris,I'm 20,and trying to get my career as a police officer started.  The police investigator told me that they do credit checks in the background research.  My problem is that my credit is bad.  Just to give you the 411, I check my credit score today and it's 528 with 350 being the lowest.  I have two credit cards that I haven't paid on in almost a year and I'd say altogether, I'm $1200 to $1400 in debt.  Will this keep me from getting hired?  I've heard two stories.  One, I was told that my credit would indeed keep me from getting hired.  And then I was told by my mom's friend (who just retired from the department that I'm applying to) that he got hired with bad credit.  And that background investigators look for things like unpaid taxes, bankrups, and leins.  Other than having bad credit, I have no previous arrests, no alcohol use, no tobacco or illegal drug usage, and only 1 speeding ticket.  Given this information, what do you think my chances are for passing the background investigation?

Answer
Chris,

First of all, thanks for the question.

Having a low credt score does not necessarily preclude you from getting hired in law enforcement, especially at your age. Over time, you will build a longer credit history. However, most departments will not hire you if you have a bad credit history. Your credit score is marginal.

When hiring or recruiting, among many of the qualities that law enforcement agencies look for in an individual are consistency, honesty, and dependability, and not paying your bills over a period of time indicates you might not be able to manage things very well or be a dependable person. This will hurt you when trying to apply for a law enforcement job.

Buckle down and get them paid off or reasonably paid down and your credit score will start to improve. Then don't use the credit cards or only use them in an emergency. If you can't pay cash for something don't buy it.

Good luck, and I hope you get that credit straightened out.