Starting my Background for Riverside County Sheriff Deputy

[Cheekyfella]

Greetings all,

I'm about to turn in my background check paperwork to the Riverside County Sheriff Department. I was wondering what I should expect after they call me in for the next step of the hiring process. Do they still do polygraph? What is the physical examination consist of? Grab and cough? Do they drill you when you go for the oral board? What does psychological evaluation consist of? What's the academy like? Any current or former Riverside County Deputies have any insight for me? Or any LEO. Any guidance would be greatly appreciated. Thank you all for reading. Hope to see you after the academy! 👍

[socom2shooter]

Welp, i dont know anything about riverside so but I do know every agency is different. You can expect to do a polygraph, psych eval, and oral board. Usually the oral board comes first, then polygraph, then psych, then after anything else medical will probably be last. Oral boards are usually pretty agency specific. Polygraph and psych are really silly, just dont read to much into them. Especially if you have a clean background, poly and psych wont really matter unless you have some kind of other issue.

All i really have to say is if you want it stick with it. The process is long and stressful, so dont take anything personal. Just remember its a long road. It seems no one wants to do the job anymore, which is sad. My agency has been steadily loosing personnel since i started. Now at less than 50% staffing, with public expectations being higher than ever. Just remember why you want to do it. Then after you have some time on, remember why you started.

If you have any specific questions feel free to message me. Just remember it can be hard to get hired, but after the last few years its loosened up quite a bit. If you feel like coming to norcal to escape the cities hit me up.

[Spanky8601]

Make copies of any paperwork you turn in.

Make sure to be very honest on everything. Even if you think something is minor or won't be found, list it. Did I mention be very honest on everything.

[Cheekyfella]

Thank you for the responses. Socom2Shooter I may take you up on that offer in the near future. I used to live rural and really miss it. The city is crazy. Spanky8601 yes I was very honest in my background. Took me practically the whole 15+ days to complete my paperwork due to scrutinizing every single page for errors and punctuation. I hope to report some good news in the near future. I'm currently an electrician and thought I switch careers after 20 years in my occupation. It's a scary road but it looks like I have proper support. Thank you.

[Spyder]

Socoms area would be a fantastic spot to start out and make a career. Talk to him about it and go get hired!

[Lonestargrizzly]

Just be consistent and dont volunteer any info.

[Enzo rules]

Clean up you social media posts. I don’t know if Riverside Sheriff’s Department look at your social media postings but some do.

[Cheekyfella]

I use no social media. Just Calguns! 😁 Thank you all for the responses. Keep them coming. I need an much help as I can get. Much appreciated.

[9Cal_OC]

Don’t be a cheeky fella at the oral board

But all kidding aside, as long as you have a clean background (may depends what they define as “clean”), good bill of health, and are of sound character, the background shouldn’t be too bad. But it will be pretty in-depth.

What timeline did they give you? Should take a few months.

[Cheekyfella]

I haven't turned it in yet. I'm proof reading and checking for errors and anything I may have missed. They are rushing the process due to the drastic need for Deputies and Correctional Officers. I hope to be in my Spring of next year. 🤞

[Enzo rules]

Originally Posted by Cheekyfella

I haven't turned it in yet. I'm proof reading and checking for errors and anything I may have missed. They are rushing the process due to the drastic need for Deputies and Correctional Officers. I hope to be in my Spring of next year. 🤞

Have some else proofread your work after you have read it.

Good luck

[t-1]

Even if/when they find inaccuracies you'll be given the opportunity to explain all of it. As its been mentioned--most people fcuck themselves out of a career by lying or omitting something that's easily explained, like smoking weed in high-school, that speeding ticket, the thing you shoplifted as a teen. None of those (at least in my agency) are automatic DQ's.

Let your references know what you're doing, so they know to expect a call from your background people. If you don't know your neighbors, go meet your neighbors. Make copies of everything, transcripts, personal history statement, references, all of it.

When I got hired in 2002, my hiring process was just over 9 months..and my only prior job was active duty military--so in theory it should have been one of the easier ones . Now my agency is blowing through backgrounds in 90 days and we're seeing it with the recruits their sending out--scary...

Things that hang up a background are lots of jobs, lots of moving around, kids with multiple baby-mommas, bad credit, etc..

[BadKitty]

Originally Posted by t-1

Even if/when they find inaccuracies you'll be given the opportunity to explain all of it. As its been mentioned--most people fcuck themselves out of a career by lying or omitting something that's easily explained, like smoking weed in high-school, that speeding ticket, the thing you shoplifted as a teen. None of those (at least in my agency) are automatic DQ's.

LOL.....I got a speeding ticket on the way home after my physical agility test and turning in the background packet. A few weeks later, I had a telephone interview for my backgrounds. The Sergeant asked me, "Before I start the recorder, is there anything you wish to correct or add to your background file?" (Standard question). I confidently announced, "Yes, Ma'am. I received a speeding ticket on the way home from dropping off my background packet to you." She just laughed at me and then asked me to send her a copy of the citation when I have the final disposition. (Still got hired.)



.

[shoupdawg]

Originally Posted by Cheekyfella

I'm currently an electrician and thought I switch careers after 20 years in my occupation. It's a scary road but it looks like I have proper support. Thank you.

Cheeky, how old are you? I just got laid off after over 16 years with my corporate job and I'm in the process with a couple of agencies here in SoCal. If I got in, I probably won't be done with academy until i'm in my late 40's.

And good luck brother.

[Cheekyfella]

I am 41 years young! 😊

[PartyBarge]

Why, why, why would you join a California law enforcement agency? The state is getting bluer by the day. You're volunteering to be seen as the bad guy in a state where even the government sees you as the bad guy.

[Cheekyfella]

PartyBarge. Because we are the heroes California needs. Not the ones it deserves. Things will change. Good will always win. Light will always overcome the dark.

I know I reversed that quote but it's the truth.

[shoupdawg]

Originally Posted by Cheekyfella

I am 41 years young! 😊

You got 5 years on me.

Good on you, young buck!

[Cheekyfella]

Just submitted my background check. I'll keep everyone updated on my progress. Thank you all for your responses.

[shoupdawg]

Originally Posted by Cheekyfella

Just submitted my background check. I'll keep everyone updated on my progress. Thank you all for your responses.

Good luck! I took my NTN yesterday and scored poorly on the most important videos section so I think I'm out for the 4 pd's who use that one. I took another written test for another pd today...I think I did well enough to get invited to the PFQ in 2 weeks.

And need to do my PHS for another pd.

[Enzo rules]

Good luck to both of you guys.

[Cheekyfella]

Originally Posted by Enzo rules

Good luck to both of you guys.

Thank you Enzo.

[TrailerparkTrash]

I don’t know any deputies anymore with RSO, but they used to suck as an employer. Now times have changed and from what I’ve only seen as an outsider, their sheriff is great. Again, I don’t work for them so I don’t really know how they are today. But I live in their service area and have been pretty happy with them. Except for one time when my little neighbor kids thought their house next door was being burglarized and the arriving LONE deputy made the sixth grader go inside with him to clear the house! I wasn’t home when that happened, but my wife was and told me about it when I got home. I never complain about fellow cops, but I did on that case. But it was isolated and about 18 years ago. I woulda gone off on that deputy had I been home when my wife got the knock on the door from the kids and when she called 911. I woulda never let that RSO deputy take a child with him on a house clearing. The deputy thought he was going to expect to possibly find an actual resident that lived inside the house and wanted the kid to say, “yes that’s family” or whatever. Still, it was a horrible decison on the deputy’s part.

But back on topic, I feel they are a fine department under California standards these days and you’ll probably be happy overall. It used to be in the late 80’s and early 90’s when I started, folks would say, “go LA county or Ontario PD or Anaheim or Santa Ana and screw Riverside.” Today, that feeling has been reversed.

Yes, be honest with everything during backgrounds.

[Sam .223]

I used to work for RSO, The medial is basically a physical and some vision/hearing tests, the physc eval was basically like the interview with some of the same questions you've already answered, and they will compare the answers to each other. there is a polygraph test that's your interview questions while hooked up to the poly, nothing is a big deal if you've been honest with them from the start. the academy is tough at first, the first day will be a real PIA but it gets better as time goes on, expect the first 2-3 weeks to be pretty hard, they want to get the quitters out as fast as possible, remember its not personal, keep your composure and move through your day to get towards your final goal to graduate. I don't know who is current tact staff but mine were all good people at the end of everything, they are just trying to do their jobs to the best of their abilities. If you have a back ground investigator assigned you can also go over some of this with them, they won't go to into detail but they should give you some idea of what you're in for, day 1 at the academy you get hit pretty hard and fast so have fun.

[Ron-Solo]

You’ll enjoy the body cavity search

[fal_762x51]

Originally Posted by Ron-Solo

You’ll enjoy the body cavity search

Spread them and cough!

Good luck. Please try not to be too retard around the Tac Officers or FTOs.

[BigStiCK]

Originally Posted by Cheekyfella

I am 41 years young! 😊

Holy cow!

So you’re old. I would focus on physical fitness and behaving like an absolute angel from here on out. As others have mentioned be 100% honest & forthright on your background package. My Top Secret background in the military was nothing compared to what the CHP put me through. They contacted EVERYBODY I listed in my packet. No joke, they tracked them down. I was impressed.

Good luck!

[Hateca]

Unless something changed there is no oral board. You turn in your packet it gets assigned to an investigator, he calls you up to meet to go over your stuff, and interview you. That’s your oral interview. Could have changed but that’s how they were doing them before 2000. Yes they do a poly. Depending on the investigator they may say hey you reacted to this or that question, you have anything to say? DO NOT ADD OR CHANGE ANYTHING, they are fishing for a response. The crazy test and interview is nothing you can really do anything about. The test is pretty straight forward, simple question, the interviews are hit or miss, most of the examiners I’ve met were nuttier then fruitcakes. Good luck.

[Praesidium_Tactical]

I've been with RSO for 22 years now. I've had my ups and downs but you will have that with any agency. As others have said, be straightforward about your background and don't try to hide stuff. I hope you are in good physical shape because you will PT your *** off in the academy. Just remember that it is a game and they are trying to weed out the weak-willed.

If you really have your heart set on working the street, go for the deputy sheriff position. I've spent most of my career in the jails as a Correctional Deputy, and the schedule and working conditions are much better, but you don't get paid quite as much. The new sheriff started a program where some correctional deputies are armed, which is nice and gets you access to the off-roster stuff and hicaps.

All in all, I've been pretty happy here. Good luck to you.