Ask Me Help Desk - Police Department

Quote:

Originally Posted by DJC

I have been told that I could not be hired for a position at the local police department (City X, North Carolina) because I have a judgement sitting on my credit report. Why do they do that? I meet all other qualifications, and when I ask the reason isnt that I am not capible, but because I have this judgement. Any thoughts?

First who told you that? Was it the recruiter or city personel office.

If so they may have a rule in that city about credit issues, bankruptcy and outstanding debts, affaid you will start accepting bribes or stealing money or property you find if you owe a lot of money and have money issues.

But I have found, that if you talk to the right person, and you are more qualified than all the other applicants in so many other areas, they can often give a person an exemption.

But I have found that first if a debt is old, or if it can be explained, and I believe from another post, this was even your wife's debt not yours, If you can merely supply them proof that this is her debt and you are divorced, that should clear this up. They will go over your background completely and will require you to supply all sorts of data if you are being in a final review to clear up all sorts of issues that may show up from background checks.

Also remember for any one police job there is most likely 50 applicants, most police departments while not "requireing it" normally hire people that have at least two years college and prefer degrees, The last department I worked for, it was almost impossible to work there without a degree.

Also remember there are a dozen cities arouind anyone person, so if you want to be a police officer often you have to start at a smaller town on lower pay, those officers who are already certified are also applying for that better paying job often.

Next if your state allows you to get certified without being hired on, do it, Your GI benefits should pay for it and pay you to go. Since every police officer has to be POST certified, a new hire not certified has to go to the acadamey before they can even start on the street. ( you will still work with a training officer for a long time after you complete the POST training)

But every person that was not already hired, who went though the class before me, my class, and the class after me, where all hired by some department before the finished the training. That saves a department a lot of money paying for and paying you to be Post certified.

Just some suggestions