Posted: 3/3/2010 6:00:39 PM EDT
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An interesting question has come up in the most recent application I'm filling out, and I really don't know the best course of action. The question is: Describe any special interests and hobbies, including the degree of proficiency. Now the response is a bit of a quandary. My hobbies and special interests include shooting, shooting, hunting, and shooting. It's what I enjoy and I do it as often as I can. Question is, is that really something you wish to put down on an application for LE employment? This is a small community, with a correspondingly small agency. It's hard not to know everybody. What do you think? Do you guys believe it would be an issue? |
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On paper no as they cant do that. But in real life- hell yeah they will use it against you! Happened to me when I applied to Oakland Police. I had to answer the question about have I ever seen child pornography- Yes I have but not for pleasure...it was during a Sexual Predator/offenders class while in college. Prof warned us it would come up during PD hiring process. The other was guns. Coming back from Nevada to northern California...I was seen as some sort of wild violent educated mofo. I was harassed for having a Nevada CCW, told to write down all my serial numbers of all firearms I owned, asked why I owned so many firearms (my dad passed on and it was inherited), then asked why my weapons werent registered with the CA DOJ- I have a house out of state and the list went on.
So if you are honest you get dinged, if you are dishonest you get dinged as well. Tough call. So after this phone conversation. I received a letter in the mail 2 days later. I am not eligible for hire nor am I eligible for reapplying. WTF right? Well they can suck it. The Feds hired me. So dont get discouraged man. |
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Quoted:
An interesting question has come up in the most recent application I'm filling out, and I really don't know the best course of action. The question is: Describe any special interests and hobbies, including the degree of proficiency. Now the response is a bit of a quandary. My hobbies and special interests include shooting, shooting, hunting, and shooting. It's what I enjoy and I do it as often as I can. Question is, is that really something you wish to put down on an application for LE employment? This is a small community, with a correspondingly small agency. It's hard not to know everybody. What do you think? Do you guys believe it would be an issue? Leave out prepping for the zombie SHTF TEOTWAWKI stuff. I put that I shot handguns competitively in IPSC and Steel shoots with my classification. I also put that I enjoyed camping and hiking. Lastly, I said I spent a lot of time working on my truck. You don't need to go into the "power you feel, like when god must hold a gun," quotes from the Simpsons they won t get or about how much time you spend playing Zombie Nazis, wishing it was real life. How you articulate things is everything in this business. Use your brain. It isn't lying or omission. If they ask about it, explain being involved shooting sports and maybe point them to a website like USPSA or SASS. Look at the positive aspects of your hobbies and how they can translate into being successful as a LEO and be sure you can steer the conversation in that direction if you feel you are getting questioned about your hobbies. |
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Quoted:
On paper no as they cant do that. But in real life- hell yeah they will use it against you! Happened to me when I applied to Oakland Police. I had to answer the question about have I ever seen child pornography- Yes I have but not for pleasure...it was during a Sexual Predator/offenders class while in college. Prof warned us it would come up during PD hiring process. The other was guns. Coming back from Nevada to northern California...I was seen as some sort of wild violent educated mofo. I was harassed for having a Nevada CCW, told to write down all my serial numbers of all firearms I owned, asked why I owned so many firearms (my dad passed on and it was inherited), then asked why my weapons werent registered with the CA DOJ- I have a house out of state and the list went on...... It also depends on how they ask it and how one sees it. We were going thru a police application which included a question of ever handling (having, had, transferred, possessed, etc..) illicit drugs. My hand went up because I had transferred a bale of grass to the Colombians after a drug boat bust, been in charge of counting controlled medicinals; in short, official duties. There's the catch: if it is part of official duties, then it's not illicit..........but up to that point in life, I never realized the full meaning of that word. Hence, if something was part of a class and they ask the question in such a way that "illicit" is in there, it may be a non event. Of course, people's definitions vary across the board. I know people who consider nude pictures of dead children (ie, similar to what one might find in a professional homicide investigation text) to be CP. But then again.....................nude pictures of children? Does it count if it's in 50-60's era National Geographic? On the guns matter, again, that depends on how one sees it. Such as there are my guns and then there is the family's guns that I am the caretaker. On another note, it's like the difference between one little word, anti- and counter-. I have never been in charge of counter terrorism troops; I have been in charge of anti-terrorism troops. But unless the asker really knows what the question is, my no to the former and yes to the latter might be seen as deception. Unless the question or the asker is quite specific (and I've seen intelligence regs that were, had to comply with them), and it will also be a matter of how the responder sees the question especially at the polygraph, it may be a very open ended question. ______________________________________________________________ ("And you own all this?"––visitor after seeing the lesser and greater treasure rooms "I do not own. I am merely the caretaker."––The Phantom, (w,stte), "The Phantom" comic strip) |
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As I recall from the application process that I went through 15years ago most of the depts asked a similar question but nothing about profieciency. I listed golf, backpacking, running/working out etc on mine as I recal. No way to list proficiency on those really. my take on it, atleast the question about your actual hobbies is just to gauge what kind of a person you area and your personality.
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