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tagtag · Aug 31, 2011, 08:33 AM

I was arrested on one (1) occasion for a total of 3 felony charges. All 3 charges were dropped before the case ever went to court, within a matter of 3 months from the arrest date. Aside from having a lot of explaining to do, is it possible to obtain a career in the law enforcement field?

Fr_Chuck · Aug 31, 2011, 09:09 AM

Yes, it is only convictions that will stop you. Even police officers get falsely arrested or accused.

To be a police officer in the US you have to be POST certified and can not have a felony conviction.

They will see this and you will have to explain it, and it will hurt you in some departments, since they may assume you hung with wrong people, or was guilty but just got off.

But you can be one, it will just be harder than if this was not on the record.

excon · Aug 31, 2011, 09:12 AM

Originally Posted by tagtag

Aside from having a lot of explaining to do, is it possible to obtain a career in the law enforcement feild?

Hello t:

Yes, and I wouldn't explain a thing... Really! Keep your mouth shut. You have NOTHING to explain.

excon

tagtag · Aug 31, 2011, 09:39 AM

Here in Michigan, we use a system referred to as MCOLES or Michigan Council On Law Enforcement Standards, not POST, however, I have had POST training in the past.

Chuck, may I ask what exprerience you have in law enforcement or similar fields? And, it is funny that you are from Georgia, because that is where my arrest occurred in Augusta. What needs to be done to have my arrest cleared from my record and would it even matter since you have to disclose expunged records to police for employment?

excon · Aug 31, 2011, 09:58 AM

Hello again, t:

I'm NOT the Padre, but I have an opinion... Actually, it's MORE than opinion... You can't expunge arrest records. That's because arrest records DON'T mean anything. Because they DON'T mean anything, is exactly WHY you have no need to explain them...

In my opinion, innocent people say nothing more than they are INNOCENT.. Guilty people try to explain it away. That's actually MORE than my opinion, if you know what I mean.

excon

tagtag · Aug 31, 2011, 10:48 AM

Excon, I appreciate your input, however, sitting in front of an oral board panel on a police employment interview and saying "I have nothing to explain about my prior arrests." Is not going to get you very far, but maybe a few steps closer to the exit. As unfortunate or as "wrong" as it may be, that is how it is and there is no changing the fact that if asked to explain your arrest or conviction history, you need to do it if one EVER plans to become a police officer. This is not a criminal investigation, this is an investigation into your past for future employment and certain things need to be disclosed to show your maturaty, integrity and moral character.

excon · Aug 31, 2011, 01:40 PM

Originally Posted by tagtag

there is no changing the fact that if asked to explain your arrest or conviction history, you need to do it if one EVER plans to become a police officer.

Hello again, tag:

To you, there doesn't appear to be much difference between an arrest and a conviction.. You lump them in together... To ME, they're WORLDS apart. They're NOTHING alike. They're related ONLY in that they're on the police files... One indicates criminal conduct. The other indicates NOTHING, other than the police made a mistake.. WHY on earth would you have to explain a POLICE mistake. YOU did nothing. YOU'RE innocent of ANY wrongdoing, so there's NOTHING to explain...

That would be MY position. If however, you wish to admit some culpability that hasn't been PROVEN, go ahead.. But, I don't think THAT'S going to get you very far either...

excon