Atlanta PD recruiting and less-than-stellar driving record

[superbfly]

**I originally posted this in the "hiring" forum,**
**but was advised to post here as well**
Hello all, this is my first post here, and I appreciate the opportunity to get insight from you. I'm considering applying to the Atlanta PD, and as the thread title implies, I have quite a few tickets on my driving record which really deterred me from taking the step of actually applying to the department here in Atlanta. I'm 35 and have had about 18 tickets in the past 17 years. I'd say probably 8 speeding tickets and a 2 tickets from very minor fender benders. No dui/dwi/wreckless/or anything crazy. Mostly they are illegal turns/uturns/expired tag/rolling through a stop sign/and a couple red light photo tickets. Most of my tickets are from when I was pretty young (say 10+ years ago) and my driving habits certainly changed while in my mid-twenties. I've had 2 speeding tickets in the past 5 years, but nothing that outright disqualifies me for employment according to APD recruiting site. I've never done any drugs or stolen anything and have no criminal record. Can anyone tell me if a driving record like this, and the sheer volume of tickets (albeit, over a relatively long period of time) will disqualify me from employment?
Thanks.

[spd2008]

they go back mostly 8 years, anything can DQ you in the process, if they want to hire you, they will, if they dont they wont. Nothing you said makes you unable to be hired, just depends on if they want to. Apply, and roll the dice.

[superbfly]

thanks, sir.
if i apply, at this point, it certainly appears it will be a "roll of the dice" i'll say this too, since you're in pooler; i went to GA Southern, and i got at least 2 speeding tickets on I-16 while driving to/from gsu to atlanta. troopers have fish in a barrel down there.

[LPguy]

When I was in college I had a friend who applied to APD and had a pretty bad driving record.. kind of like yours, a lot of tickets, but no major ones. It took a lot of convincing to someone (his B.I I think) but they ended up putting him through.

It never hurts to apply.

[superbfly]

When I was in college I had a friend who applied to APD and had a pretty bad driving record.. kind of like yours, a lot of tickets, but no major ones. It took a lot of convincing to someone (his B.I I think) but they ended up putting him through.

It never hurts to apply.

that's the most encouraging thing i've heard. i'm leaning towards applying and seeing what happens.

[Zeitgeist]

It won't hurt to apply.

[superbfly]

It won't hurt to apply.

thanks, again.
and.. large humid city + any variable = ATL
(and i saw a reference to greenbriar mall in your profile )

[jannino]

The reality is some people slip through the crack, maybe that person could be you...

[CavLEO]

Be ready to wait a LOOONG time if you're an in-state applicant. They'll process out of state applicants in two days, but if you're an in state applicant you'll be waiting long stretches between each step of the process because priority goes to out of state applicants. Why they can't do it the same way for in-state applicants beats me.

[Wrangler1486]

I was in state, and I went from application to hired in less than 5months.

[superbfly]

The reality is some people slip through the crack, maybe that person could be you...

quite true: recently the news here in atlanta has been reporting on a small number of those aberrations.

[CavLEO]

@wrangler1486

5 months is considered a long time in GA application processes. Most agencies complete after around 3 months. There's a fella on here who was waiting approximately four months after his final hire packet went up for signature last I heard.

[RICK4334]

my 2cents= go find you a traffic lawyer to clear up your driving record before you apply. It my cost you a lil bit of money but it makes you more willing to be hired with less on your driving record

[spd2008]

ya Pooler is Bad here, most agencies are big on traffic except Metro. but they ride more calls. Does not hurt to apply, depends on your BI, some see your driving record and are like thats not to bad, and others think they invented Police work and are holy than though and will say now. Everyone makes mistakes, its how your learn from them that counts. Just be honest about it, and you should be ok.

[jannino]

quite true: recently the news here in atlanta has been reporting on a small number of those aberrations.

I didn't mean it as a slam on Atlanta PD, but rather every large metro agency.. even with all the news stories, APD isn't any worse than similar cities