automatic disqualifier?

[MacB]

Good afternoon i was hoping i could get some advice. i would like to pursue a career in law enforcement. i am 28 yrs with a clean background and 743 credit score. not fit but working on it . i plan on applying towards the end of the year while i get in shape. my problem is work history 6+ yrs ago i worked for unreported cash. will that be an issue? Also the big problem i have 3 yrs ago i was let go from a warehouse job for getting physical with a coworker. no punches were thrown but i did grab him and tried throwing him of a double pallet jack we were fighting for. I shouldve known better and regret what i did. no police were involved or report taken. they let me finish my shift, and told me to cool off for the next few days. i got a call from HR one week and a half later telling me they had no choice but to let me go.
I have no intention of hiding this or lying about what happened. I would like to know if theres still a chance i can continue with this career path?
departments im interested in would be close to home in the monclair, ontario, riverside, corona area. Thank you any input is greatly appreciated

[oddjob]

Just reveal it in the background papers. Shouldn't be that big a deal. The fact your revealing it goes a long ways in your favor.

[solipsism]

Will depend entirely on the agency. Time and distance does wonders for any acts of poor judgement.

You have the right attitude by not trying to hide or lie about it. It may be no big deal but trying to conceal or minimize it will get you DQ'd.

[cr250chevy]

None of that should disqualify you. They want people not saints. Recognizing and learning from your mistakes is huge, as longs as you are honest and articulate what you learned from your mistakes.

[MacB]

Thanks guys

[ape1nope]

Tell the truth. We have all done stupid things to one degree or another. Be transparent, include everything in your history, and own up to your past mistakes. If it seems like you are hiding something, or if you fail to include something they dig up later, it will look much worse than if you came clean in the beginning. The issues you mentioned don't seem like a big problem. I've known people with more significant past issues that have made it through the hiring process.

[RickD427]

Ditto to the above, particularly the comment that time and distance do a lot to ease the effect of prior transgressions.

Disclose it. This is the type of thing that if undisclosed, and then discovered, would be an automatic disqualifier, not for the event itself, but for the non-disclosure.

It will go under the microscope. If the conduct has never been repeated, and was a "one time" deal, I doubt that many agencies would disqualify you for it.

If the microscopic examination shows a trend, then I'd look for other work.

[omgwtfbbq]

The only real "automatic DQ" for an LE job is a conviction for a felony or certain misdos.

The rest is dependent on the hiring standards of the agency. It's important to understand that the background investigation turns up something unfavorable about just about every applicant and that this is understood from the beginning. A lot of the investigation is about corroborating or refuting what you disclose in your Personal History Statement (PHS). Disclosing something in the PHS can DQ you, that's true. However, what's fare more grave is failing to disclose something, even something minor, during the PHS and having it come to light during the BI. Now it looks like you tried to hide it, which is doubly bad.

[Bobby Ricigliano]

From an LEO perspective I see nothing automatically disqualifying there. Get in shape and start applying now. Most agencies are hiring now. Don't put it off until the next downturn when the vacancies are gone.

[Slack Jaw]

I have no intention of hiding this or lying about what happened.

Its all over the interwebs now. You have no choice but to tell the truth. Well I guess you still do but as long as you disclose those things the better off you will be. Good luck.

[Dnele928]

One of our family is a LEO. Her report was that the most recent batch of recruits had to pass their criminal background check, a brief one-to-one interview and a short written exam. Of the 100 recruits, the number that passed - 0%.

To get to the next level, first have a clean background - sounds like you are ok. Your post reflects you likely have a personable personality - good. Be relaxed and easily conversational, while being serious.
Buff up your writing - LEOs do a lot of writing. Fix your punctuation, caps - proof read your text - this is important, don't be sloppy.

Good luck.

[Aces and 8s]

Of the 100 recruits, the number that passed - 0%

Wow, that is crazy. Out of 100 candidates, not a single one was clean?