Well now apparently corruption and scandal can occasionally be a good thing.  

A handful of local departments have multiple openings and according to a few people I know still in those departments, I'm told they're getting so desperate as to lower thier hiring requirements and increase base pay.

So of course now is as good a time as any to consider a career change.

Qualifications aren't a factor right now, my only real concern is the background check.

Now I havent been arrested since 1994 (criminal mischief) when I was 16.  However, there have been a few run-ins since then which havent resulted in my getting booked (of course if all was right and just and the responding officer wasnt my brothers FTO I would have).

Without wanting to go really too in depth with my past (Nothing in my past has prevented me from owning or purchasing firearms if that tells you anything) I do have a few questions..


Most background check services I have seen only show court dates and rulings.  since my one and only court date happened when I was a minor 11 years ago, that doesnt even show up.

Im assuming that since we're talking about a LE position, the background check will be a little more indepth than that of your typical mickey dees fry technician.

Finally to the point!   When I do make contact with thelocal departments of my choice, what will show up when they run a check on me?  
1>Just court dates and rulings?
2>all felony arrests (if any) and court dates/rulings?
3>all arrests and court dates/rulings?
4>if i was detained/held for questioning?
5> any non traffic citations?
6>any traffic citations?


If need be Ill explain exactly what my biggest concern is, but for now Id just as soon not have to get into that right now..

behonest....they will find out.  If they ask dont lie to them...

dont volunteer info either.

Most likely, the following WILL show up on a formal Police Records Check:

1.  Any formal charges that have been made against you.

2.  The disposition of the charges listed in #1 above, regardless if dropped, etc.

3.  Any traffic citations, usually this will go back at least 7 years.

Most likely, the following WILL NOT show up:

1.  Any informal interaction with LE that DID NOT result in a charge.

The big factor is... what are folks going to say about you when they (LE) start asking around?  Your references are going to be important.  Many agencies want Male and Female references that go back at least 3, 5, and some even 10 years.  What are your present and past neighbors going to say about you?

Best advise has been given above... BE HONEST or it will come back to bite you in the ass.  Many agencies realize not all of us have been the perfect citizen all our lives.  You just have to be up front and let the chips fall where they may.

Good luck.

Quoted: 1.  Any informal interaction with LE that DID NOT result in a charge.

Good advice except this is not always true, at least 'round here.  A good BI will run a "premise history" of your residence and that of your neighbors which will yield information like noise complaints, disturbance calls, calls for service and the like regardless of the outcome of the event.

This is a good indicator of your interactions with neighbors.  Big brother is watching.

Good luck.

NorCal

I do understand the concept of being honest and not volunteering anything.  

The thing is Im not sure if this would even be worth mentioning.  I might as well come right out and say it. hopefully you'll be able to tell me if I need to pass this on to them.


Back in early feb. 1999, days before my 21st birthday, I was hanging out at a buddies house (which was not unusual).  Now my buddy was one of the youngest people living in this particular community, and his place was the regular hangout for pretty much everyone in our little group which consisted of pretty much everyone around between the ages of 15-28.

The gatehouse of this particular community had a bright spotlight mounted on the back wall of the gatehouse which shined directly into the face of people exiting the property. (posing an obvious safety hazard as one could barely make out wether or not the exit gate had opened due to the blinding light shone in your face).


Now on this particular night I had had a few too many drinks, and had a shiny new 9mm carbine in the trunk of my car.  being somewhat intoxicated and extremely stupid at the time, I pulled off the road a ways away from he gatehouse (which was unoccupied at the time), double tapped the light putting it out permanently.  unbeknownst to me, my buddy was right behind me in his truck.  not thinking anything of it, i hopped back in the car and went home.



Flash forward to the next afternoon theres a knock on the door.  yup its a deputy.  apparently i had forgotten about the cameras also mounted to the gatehouse.  they didnt get any info from me off the camera (face, tag, etc..), but they did get my buddies truck.  Since he was considered one of the troublemakers of that community both security and the HOA were quite familiar with his vehicle.  the deputy spoke with my buddy and with no bones about it, my buddy rolled over on me.


So the deputy is at my place. He knows why hes here, I know why hes here. no sense trying to lie my way out of it, so I admit to everything I had a hand in.  As the deputy is sitting in my living room, he rattles down the list of what Im looking at.  Discharge of a firearm.  Firing into an unoccupied dwelling, willful destruction of something or other, etc, etc.. (basically it was 3 felonies and a couple misdemeanors).  Now its been a long time since this happened, but I do believe the word 'arrest' was used.  Even though the word was used, there were no cuffs involved, no miranda, nothing.  He proceeded to confiscate 2 of my longguns (leaving 3 behind?) gave me the reciept for them, and while he was walking out the front door he mentioned he was my brothers FTO years ago.





3 years go by and I dont hear word one about this.  I figured since he knew my brother the paperwork got 'lost' and my longguns were part of his collection now.   6 months after that I get a notice in the mail from SO stating that I had 30 days to pick up my property or it would be disposed of.  So now Ive got my guns back, and the only piece of paper Ive ever seen on the incident was the property reciept.



Ahh.. I just went back and checked the property reciept- it was actually logged as simply 'criminal mischief' and does state 'no arrest- nothing in courts'



Now would this even be worth a mention, or should I shut my trap about it and hope they dont ask?

posing an obvious safety hazard as one could barely make out wether or not the exit gate had opened due to the blinding light shone in your face

You should be commended for your community service

How long is a long time ago?

I had a friend who wanted to be LEO.  She says well I used to do some drugs a LLLLOOONNNGGG time ago, haven't touched since.  I said well, if it was several years ago and you were a minor (she was 25) you shouldn't have much of a problem if you are honest with them.  She says no silly, it was a long time ago (last November) this was February.  Needless to say, she didn't apply.  

Well my one and only real arrest was in march '94

This particular incident I just described was feb. of 99.

Kept my nose mostly clean since then..

Thats an interesting read, and leaves much question as too what may be in the records.

How accurate can a private agency that runs checks get info? Perhaps paying one of those to see what teh records show may give you an idea of whats out there.

Perhaps ask your brother for his the officers name and track him down and ask him.

Well Ive checked out a few agencies that conduct background checks, finally deciding on using the company that my current employer uses.   Come to find out (after paying thier fees) that they only have access to court records.  Since this never resulted in a hearing they had absolutely nothing on me.


I do know that the responding deputies name and that he had retired several years ago, and Im not sure if I would have any luck finding him now. (provided hes still alive and kicking and the odd chance that he remembers this one incident that happened 6 and a half years ago)

Quoted: Well Ive checked out a few agencies that conduct background checks, finally deciding on using the company that my current employer uses.   Come to find out (after paying thier fees) that they only have access to court records.  Since this never resulted in a hearing they had absolutely nothing on me. I do know that the responding deputies name and that he had retired several years ago, and Im not sure if I would have any luck finding him now. (provided hes still alive and kicking and the odd chance that he remembers this one incident that happened 6 and a half years ago)

www.zabasearch.com

Pop his name in here and see what you find.

Since this is what my current assignment is I can answer your question.  It doesn't matter whether an arrest was made or not because there was a report made by the property owner where you were listed as a suspect.  When the Officer begins the check, that Agency will have the information.  None of that matters because the pre-polygraph/polygraph interview is going to weed all of this information out.  It concerns me that the only way that you think that you can get hired is when the Agency doing the hiring, 'lowers the hiring requirements'.

Quoted: It concerns me that the only way that you think that you can get hired is when the Agency doing the hiring, 'lowers the hiring requirements'.

First, thanks for giving me a definite asnwer to my question.  Would I be correct in assuming that being a suspect isn't nearly as damning as an arrest or a conviction?


I can see where that statement does sound a bit dubious, but that wasn't my intent.

Yes I think I have an increased chance of being hired now as firstly there are more than a dozen openings because quite a few people were axed after being caught defrauding the city.  Clearly theres a better chance to get in with 15 openings rather than if there was only one or two openings.
Secondly, yes they did lower  qualifications.  They used to require either military experience or a bachelors degree. They have since dropped this requirement.  I have never been in the military, and have little interest in joining now.  I've also been working since I was 16 and as such have never had either the time or funding required to further my education.  And finally, they have dropped thier no tobacco use policy (which is interesting as it seems most departments have recently implemented a no tobacco use policies).

Not wanting to make myself sound like a total screwup, these changes in policy/requirements do indeed give me a better shot at a career change than I previously had.



Garand_shooter- thanks for the link, but more than 200 hits just in my state, and it doesn't appear as Ill be needing to find him now..