OK here's the deal.  I'm 27 and thought I've lived a realtively normal life.  Now as the time draws closer I begin to challenge my own hireability.  I am going to the academy as a self sponsored cadet; meaning I haven't applied at any specific agency.  This was decided with the help of quite a number of people, but mainly because flying from Alaska to the lower 48 for interviews at 1 agency would cost the same as attending the POST academy.  So I may as well attend and then being able to apply with that under my belt, as in I'm worth it & passed--didn't cost the dept any money.  
I know LE agencies aren't necessarily looking for angels or anything, but I'm beginning to wonder about some of my past things as I have no plans to fake anything on my applications to agencies and am about to lay out a fair amount of money for the academy.  For example:

Age 14 threw a bottle over a cliff, hit a car, lied to police about it, got caught, paid restitution.
Age 14-18 smoked weed a total of 4 times.
Age 20 worked at Kmart for 3 months and gave myself discounts without coupons, caught on camera, invited to pay full price for items & resign, so I did.
3 speeding tickets; age 16, 17, 23

Ok, there is my dirty laundry.  I'm now 27, college graduate, and have a successful real estate background over the past 3 years, NFA owner, CCW holder.  Before that I was in & out of college, working part time also to put my wife thru school.

So, what say some of you who have been there?

Quoted: OK here's the deal.  I'm 27 and thought I've lived a realtively normal life.  Now as the time draws closer I begin to challenge my own hireability.  I am going to the academy as a self sponsored cadet; meaning I haven't applied at any specific agency.  This was decided with the help of quite a number of people, but mainly because flying from Alaska to the lower 48 for interviews at 1 agency would cost the same as attending the POST academy.  So I may as well attend and then being able to apply with that under my belt, as in I'm worth it & passed--didn't cost the dept any money.   I know LE agencies aren't necessarily looking for angels or anything, but I'm beginning to wonder about some of my past things as I have no plans to fake anything on my applications to agencies and am about to lay out a fair amount of money for the academy.  For example: Age 14 threw a bottle over a cliff, hit a car, lied to police about it, got caught, paid restitution. Age 14-18 smoked weed a total of 4 times. Age 20 worked at Kmart for 3 months and gave myself discounts without coupons, caught on camera, invited to pay full price for items & resign, so I did. 3 speeding tickets; age 16, 17, 23 Ok, there is my dirty laundry.  I'm now 27, college graduate, and have a successful real estate background over the past 3 years, NFA owner, CCW holder.  Before that I was in & out of college, working part time also to put my wife thru school. So, what say some of you who have been there?

Your logic seems sound to me.    Take a look at the hiring requirements at various departments via their websites.   You'll be fine.  

Good luck and work hard.

If its what you want to do GO FOR IT.

AP

I'd be more worried about your POST training in AK transferring to another state.

Quoted: I'd be more worried about your POST training in AK transferring to another state.

Not to worry, after lots of research I applied to the academy in the state I want to work & its not Alaska.  Great state but I've been here long enough.  Thanks for the feedback guys!

I say go for it.

Your history is not all that unusual for someone in that age range.

Be 100% honest about everything to the agencies you are applying to.  

You haven't done drugs going on a decade.  You did some stupid stuff as a "youngster" and stopped doing them.

When asked about those things just say you did them, realized that you were doing wrong and wanted to do right, and ever since you've been a good boy.  

It's more important that you tell the truth completely during your background investigation phase than looking like you never did anything.  I did about the same number of things bad, and very similiar things, as you did and had very little trouble getting hired.  

Honesty and a hiring boom are you two best friends.

Good luck.

I am not a background investigator.

The Kmart thing is the one that may cause you trouble at some agencies - be prepared to talk about it.

Brian

I don't think you'll have a problem.  What state are you attending the academy in?  I'm an academy instructor, any chance you are coming to CA?

My "Kmart thing" was when I was a little younger than yours, and I'm 21 now, and that is the thing that I worry about the most.   Just have to be honest and hope for the best.  

Quoted: Quoted: I'd be more worried about your POST training in AK transferring to another state. Not to worry, after lots of research I applied to the academy in the state I want to work & its not Alaska.  Great state but I've been here long enough.  Thanks for the feedback guys!

How bad is it?  One of my buddies is going through the application process for state trooper in alaska.

Just be honest on ure applications, those things happened years ago and there are people out there that have done worst things.  

If you want to do it, then stick it out

Hey thanks again for the feedback guys.  Sorry, the Academy is Idaho  I had to choose somewhere that I can keep all of my toys!  One of the things I do with my local PD is op-force for folks getting ready to head off to the sandbox.  In my NFA collection I own a fair amount of things that they are likely to come up against and so 2 times per year myself and a couple other Alaska Machine Gun Association members get together with some folks from APD and the military to do what we can to help.
Yeah, I think the Kmart thing will be my hardest thing to overcome.  For a brief second I of course thought to myself I could simply leave it off the application because it was only 3 months, but #1 it's easy to check IRS records and #2 I'm going to either make it or fail based on myself and my own merrit, not a made up story.  I was young and stupid, end of story.  I hope they look at my past 3 years as a real estate broker and think about the fact that if I wanted to embezel money or screw people, that would be a very good place to do it.
Anyway, I'm going in for a physical and such locally here & then will send that off to them.  The academy date I'm applying to is in October, so that gives me more time to get totally prepared and my finances in order.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: I'd be more worried about your POST training in AK transferring to another state. Not to worry, after lots of research I applied to the academy in the state I want to work & its not Alaska.  Great state but I've been here long enough.  Thanks for the feedback guys! How bad is it?  One of my buddies is going through the application process for state trooper in alaska. Just be honest on ure applications, those things happened years ago and there are people out there that have done worst things.   If you want to do it, then stick it out

Hey Alaska is a GREAT state!  I've been here since 1999 and am ready to come back down from the mountain though.  The majority of places a trooper could get stationed here would be just fine.  The bad places would be as a village trooper in the middle of nowhere with no road in or out....

Quoted: I am not a background investigator. The Kmart thing is the one that may cause you trouble at some agencies - be prepared to talk about it. Brian

I was thinking the same thing. I know it would cause you a problem at my agency. Probably wouldn't be an absolute disqualifier, hireability would be determined by how you handled the questions in your interview.

BTW Idaho is a great state. If I don't go full-time here I'll possibly end up over in Idaho. Keeping the toys is a definite must.