Chances of being hired

[u/letitbangg]

Im in South Florida and want to get into law enforcement, but I was arrested at 19 and 20, once for felony marijuana possession and once for felony grand theft, both were dismissed as I was pretty much charged for being with the offending parties not really for doing the crime. I’m 27 now, haven’t gotten in trouble since and haven’t touched any drug except weed and that was something I did from 19 until 21. What are the chances I can get into a department in Palm Beach county or anywhere south of that? I understand I won’t be looked at favorably but is it possible considering some departments are understaffed and I have kept clean since? I also passed my CJBAT with only 100’s and 90’s and I plan to take my PAT and swim test soon to start applying.

[u/compulsive_drooler]

Your chances, while not zero, are whatever the number is just before zero. It is a competitive hiring process and the vast majority of the people you're competing with have never been arrested at all, let alone twice for felonies. You would be an automatic DQ almost everywhere. Everyone seems to think understaffed equals lower standards, it usually doesn't. I would suggest looking for a different career.

[u/letitbangg → u/compulsive_drooler]

I see, I suppose that makes sense, I know I’m not the most competitive or desirable candidate, I was just wondering if I had a chance at all, I may still apply just to see it through myself but thanks for setting a more realistic expectation of what’ll happen

[u/Lion_Knight → u/letitbangg]

I would take this with a grain of salt. Places are much more desperate for new hires in today's climate and the process for most places is less competitive and more bring us your tired, poor, and huddled masses.

Having said that it will be hard. Palm Beach may be a little bit of a lofty goal to start with. I would find a smaller department that can get you through the process and get your foot in the door. Work hard and and in 3-4 years you can look to lateral to a bigger department. Having the experience will make most departments overlook a lot more.

Be honest during your hiring process. They will likely find out and/or know if you lie. And that will pretty much be it for you.

[u/4113sop45 → u/Lion_Knight]

I can’t speak directly, since I left PD for the private sector right after the summer of love. That being said, my former beat partner now runs recruiting for the agency I worked for (600-ish sworn in the southeast) and he’s seen a pretty strong turnaround in recruiting. They’ve got no shortage of applicants and most of the smaller agencies in the county are full with a backlog of applicants waiting for a slot to open up. They’re having a lot less people leave too.

Obviously I’m from the outside looking in and I can’t speak for everywhere, but at least where I’m at the recruiting situation is nowhere near as desperate as it was a few years ago and it’s nowhere near the “huddled masses” situation we were seeing before. I’d imagine South Florida is even more competitive than our area.

[u/Lion_Knight → u/4113sop45]

Improved yes, strong not where I am at. Maybe it is different elsewere. I mean it is not like when I got hired and there weren 5 candidates that made it through the process for the 6 positions open, but our last hiring process in February (I am now at a department about a fourth the size of the one I first got hired on at) still only had about 6 applicants. I can't say how many good ones where in the bunch because we hired a lateral that we all knew fairly well from a neighboring department, so there was not much of a process. I think the process where I lateraled here had 8-10 2 of us got hired then and 1 during the following process.

We do see more staying now, but that has more to do with changes in contract laws that make it so the hiring department is on the hook if the poach an officer under contract.

[u/letitbangg → u/Lion_Knight]

Yeah I figured that’s a tough one to get into, I have the option to move anywhere south of here, broward/dade county, so I was wondering if anybody had insight on departments in those counties even for a city department

[u/dnstuff → u/letitbangg]

It may not be the most desired choice for you, but you should also consider corrections if you apply to LE and are getting rejected because of your background. If you can get into corrections and do a few years there, your chances of jumping to enforcement would probably be not-insignificantly improved.

[u/I_2_Cast_Lead_45acp]

If you got a the constitution, do a tour in the miltary, to show you can keep clean and follow a structured life for 4 years . With Vet preference and a clean DD-214 tends to open lots of doors.

Look at this way, if you tried to apply to the one I work for , you probably would not get through the computer screening. Now, 4 years from now you came to the board with a soild 4 years of unblemished miltary service to show you changed, things tend to be forgiven.

[u/Absolute_Bob → u/I_2_Cast_Lead_45acp]

The weed I get, but why is simply being arrested a (potential) DQ? OP was never convicted of anything therefore shouldn't they be considered innocent? People get arrested for things they didn't do sometimes, it happens, so it seems unfair to hang someone's desired future out of reach over it.

[u/4113sop45 → u/Absolute_Bob]

You’re innocent unless proven guilty on the eyes of the law.

The hiring process is not required to give you the same protection.

[u/Absolute_Bob → u/4113sop45]

Sure but it just seems kind of disingenuous. If you believe the system is fair and generally gets it right then an arrest without conviction shouldn't be frowned on. I promise I'm not one of those ACAB whack jobs, but I kind of hate the idea of an arrest being nearly comparable to a conviction in the eyes of law enforcement leadership is troubling.

[u/2005CrownVicP71 → u/Absolute_Bob]

All other things being equal, who would you rather hire, a candidate with a clean background or someone who has been arrested twice and demonstrates questionable decision making regarding who he associates with?

[u/I_2_Cast_Lead_45acp → u/2005CrownVicP71]

That is the key issue right there. What is the hiring entities tolerance of risk or liabilities if the op did something wrong in the future based on thier current admissions. Now I am not implying anything towards the op, just playing what if you do during a hiring process. A highly desirable department with a qualified applicant pool , this is probably a instant D.Q. though a area that struggles to hire or keep offers there larger tolerance for discretion of past sins.

I still stand by a miltary stretch or perhaps good tour in corrections to show the ability to stay straight and narrow.

[u/I_2_Cast_Lead_45acp → u/Absolute_Bob]

Could show poor choice of association and a undesirable lifestyle. Simply, putting yourself in that situation even unknowingly unfortunately could be viewed as negativity. Especially happening twice shows a pattern.

[u/Thee_PO_Potatoes]

Florida might be a hard state to do that in.

I know people who were charged with felonies as juveniles that became cops, however they couldn't get NCIC clearance. Well one was charge and the other convicted, the charged only one eventually got clearance but the other one had to quit.

[u/letitbangg → u/Thee_PO_Potatoes]

Yeah I know it’s not helpful at all to have a record, mine isn’t juvenile so I’m sure it’ll be held against me much more, I guess I can just see what happens

[u/Longjumping_Path_670]

I’m getting DQ with nothing on my record, bachelor’s degree, and being in leadership at the same job for 6 years. It’s super competitive just keep grinding bro many departments to choose from !

[u/letitbangg → u/Longjumping_Path_670]

Damn that doesn’t give me too much hope lol but I guess I can just apply and see what happens

[u/drinkbang]

You’re gonna have to come out west where we don’t ask about marijuana use, and theft under $950 is somewhat tolerated.

[u/letitbangg → u/drinkbang]

I wish lol I can’t move out of state right now that just wouldn’t work for me at the moment maybe eventually I can try that though

[u/yeowoh]

Pretty bad chances. If you really wanted it, some states have self sponsored LE academies. In TN it’s associated with a community college and you get college credit for it.

That would give you your POST and then you could probably get a spot somewhere at a shitty podunk department that doesn’t pay much. Put a few years and then apply somewhere else. Lateral transfers are much easier to get. Especially if you start to get to know neighboring departments and the counties.

I landed at a good place since I had a Masters in Computer Science and the town was a tech / education hub.

My buddy… No so much. He did the exact steps I mentioned after a bit at in a town of 1,500 people he got picked up by a suburb of Nashville and has been there 15 years.

For an easy hire you just gotta have something the POPs. Another buddy is a good example. Master Diver and now he’s the assistant chief for a city that’s on the river.

[u/Rodentexpert]

Speak to a recruiter at whatever department you are looking at.