Hey all, have some questions for the community.

I’m former LE out of Montana(resigned in February to move closer to family with health issues). Currently applying with LE agencies close to family and was turned down by the first agency I applied with, everything was going smooth but he said there were some issues in my background.

I applied with a different agency before moving to Montana and I had not passed the polygraph portion, from what I remember I was a too truthful to a fault and divulged information trying to be truthful that may have not been correct. (even stating to the poly examiner that I had taken perscription medicine without a script as a juvenile from my mother) the background investigator described a few of my answers from years ago and I can’t believe I stated these things because now I know they are not contextually correct.

Wondering from any background investigators or people in hiring, should I get out in front of this and explain all this to the next agency I apply with? It’s the only issue in my background. Trying to just keep everything in the open and truthful.

Any advice would be great.

I'm assuming you're in FL.

A friend of mine was applying to departments in FL (out of state applicant).  He got turned down by several but finally got hired...and not at his preferred agency.  From what I understand, many FL agencies get a LOT of out of state applicants due to officers retiring and them moving to FL.  So, they can afford to be picky.  Maybe our resident FL officers can chime in on that.

I wouldn't worry about it.  They had someone or some people who they liked better than you.  Don't take it personally.  Keep applying.

When I did backgrounds, the first page I would skip to was the previous agencies you applied to and did not get hired by.  I could call my buddies at whatever agency, send over your release, and find out why they disqualified you.  Then I'd qualify that information and it was usually a quick axe to the file.

We were very picky, not saying every agency is like that.  But when we got applicant who provided a spreadsheet of 45 agencies they've applied to it's a red flag.  Polygraphs are double-edge swords.  Tell a lie, get denied.  Tell the truth, get denied.  That whole "character" thing has different meanings at different agencies.  Some look beyond the past, others hold it over your head forever.  Tried smoking weed at 17 and you're 30 now?  I knew a deputy chief who wouldn't touch that applicant.  Other agencies just have a 1 year separation from use.

Keep shopping, you'll find something.  Also, have a meeting and review your background packet with your BI at the beginning.  Some agencies do it all and bring you in for your poly as the final step, which leaves very little explanation on the applicant's behalf.

Just Keep trying. Hopefully you end up at one of your preferred departments. We started doing that voice stress analysis thing and it has kept some good applicants from getting hired. Some of it is total BS.

And then some total punks pass it like it's nothing... wtf?

The prescription thing might be enough all by itself. I know there are agencies in Michigan like that. Smoke weed everyday all the way through college, but haven't touched it in 2 years?  That's okay!  Take one of mom's Vicodin for a blown out knee during HS football 20 years ago or try mushrooms one time when you were 14?  Sorry. We don't want your kind.

Yep, different agencies set different standards. I just got picked up with an agency in FL that was pretty forgiving of the past. I doubt that I would have passed a standard as you are describing. Not that I have that shady of a history either way. I’ve taken two psych evals, two polys and a VSA for different agencies and they all were handled very different from one another.