Toledo Police Exam Results / Hiring Process

[Bauer]

Met with my BI today and thought I'd share some info.

- Your ranking on the eligibility list does not mean much anymore. It did in the past, but things have changed. She said they may look at it, but it doesn't hold nearly the weight it once did. If you make it far enough, you will basically be assessed points on your interview and not much else is what I gathered from our conversation.

- SERIOUSLY try to think of anything that could be found on you. Even if say you had a traffic ticket 7 years ago (I did)..list it, even though it only asks for the last 6 years. She said if you get in that habit, at least you won't omit something that does count. Anything you list that is not within the time constraints will not count against you, but she said it's worth putting down. She said most of the stuff from my juvenile record (I'm 30 now) won't even count against me...but if I failed to list some of it, it could be an automatic disqualifier for leaving it out, in which case I'd have to appeal.

- You'll be taking a picture that will be on file for the chief/panel to see. Shirt and tie is unnecessary, but most people had on a polo or sweater of some sort.

- Don't forget to bring your checklist of items. (Diploma, birth certificate, ID, SS card) I didn't have my diploma but she did say that particular document was ok to just scan over to her.

-Bring a pen. You'll be going through your background paperwork you filled out, page by page with your BI, and you'll each initial every single page after any questions have been asked/answered.

-Don't be nervous. Wasn't a big deal at all and took roughly 30 minutes. Was basically just sitting down and talking through your paperwork to be sure it was filled out as best as you could.

I asked her how long it would take and she said they'll be done by sometime in May. So we've got a long wait ahead of us. After that, things should move very quickly as she told me the class should be selected in mid June assuming there are no major changes to budget or anything like that.

Sorry for the long posts, just trying to help out.

[davidhale]

Thanks for the run down, I really appreciate that.

[Bauer]

No problem, man.

[MaxRex33]

10am PT class today, everyone passed. 10 people all together (including myself) As I stated previously, look yourayou up in every county and city you have lived in to make sure there isn't something out there. Check BMV records, which you can do online, make sure nothing is attached to your license, unpaid tickets, etc. It is definitely better to list things than to omit. You always have the appeal process...

[davidhale]

Apparently fingerprinting closes at 4:15...
At least that's what the desk clerk told me. Website said 5pm but I was told it changed. I get off work at 3:30...looks like an early day for me tomorrow .

[Bauer]

That sucks. On our form it says 5:00 but at our orientation they told us it was 4:30 and had given us an updated phone number for the place as well. Oh well, better luck to you tomorrow brother.

[davidhale]

Good luck to everyone as we wait.......and wait...and wait...ha.

[davidhale]

The waiting is what is eating at me. I have done everything I can, now it's out of my hands and it's driving me nuts.

[MaxRex33]

I can say that this process is way faster than the last time I did this. We took the test in the beginning of December, and didn't even have interviews til mid September. The interview will make or break you. Brush up on your interview skills!! Be prepared that there will literally be a person staring at you the whole time. Never asks questions, just stares at you...

[davidhale]

That's where I'm at now Max. I'm trying to prepare answers to any questions they may ask.

[Bauer]

Yeah, I've read/heard that the interview is basically it. The other stuff is just to weed out people. I've seen numbers that describe it as 90% of the decision process. (This for general law enforcement, not for TPD specifically)

I will say, I remember when I read through this thread, some people who ended up making it said their interview was strangely short. I won't count on that though, because through this entire process, I've been told how different it is this time around. Some of the instructors have even said things like "You guys are the first potential class to _______." Whether they're talking about order of events, the paperwork used, etc.

At least February is about over. Once we get through March I'll really start to get anxious again. My BI said they've been asked to have everything completed by mid May, so we SHOULD hear back by then at least.

[Bauer]

Another month coming to a close. Anyone had any interaction with their BI's lately or any notice from a reference about being contacted?

Nothing on my end.

[Bauer]

Yeah, would be cool if we 3 of us made it in. I'm feeling really confident about the rest of the process. I'm pretty excited to have the opportunity to interview (I hope)... I honestly can't stop thinking about what the academy will be like. Wondering how much is class work..how much is hands on training...how much PT is gonna be involved...what kind of PT...etc etc etc. I think about it all the time.

[davidhale]

Same here. I've been doing the PT stuff since the test and I've gotten well beyond the academy graduate level. I've been researching and prepping for the interview, hoping I'll pass the background check. I feel very confident about the entire process except that background check; my father was military and we've moved so much it feels like I could have missed something. I had to print out extra pages for work history!

[Bauer]

If you don't have a criminal history, I REALLY wouldn't worry much man. I'm not speaking from experience because I've never been through the process, but all I've read is how insanely easy the appeals process is...so I'm sure if for some reason they DQ'd you for genuinely missing some random information, all you'd have to do is go in there and say that there's no reason for you to have left it out, what they found is true and apologize. They're not going to miss out on what they think is a good candidate because he forgot to tell them he worked at Outback in 2012 for 5 months. lol

[MaxRex33]

The waiting period is definitely the WORST!! But unlike the last time I did this, it is alot faster. I went back and looked at my previous background results and I had to laugh at the points I received... Which of course appealed and they were removed.. so try not and even worry about your results.
I myself am trying to stay busy, working out. I'm also a marathon runner so I do have that race in the next few weeks which I'm ready for. And my kids... I have 3, so they definitely keep me busy, my eldest who's a sophomore in college.. a 9 yr old and 7 yr old ( I know HUGE Gap in kids ages) stay positive guys... We're all going to be ready for the next step!

[MaxRex33]

Wow Bauer!! I would of definitely freaked out receiving that email. But at least your BI let you know now so it could be taken care of..

[Bauer]

Wow Bauer!! I would of definitely freaked out receiving that email. But at least your BI let you know now so it could be taken care of..

Yeah man.. my stomach dropped for a little bit. Thought I was screwed for sure. I was anticipating the SS office to say it should be about a month or so which IF it came on time would be pushing up against May. Thankfully it's a pretty quick turnaround and didn't even cost me anything. I feel pretty fortunate.

I'm guessing my card is around my house somewhere. I have a 2 year old who REALLY likes to play with Dad's wallet when it's within reach. He's yanked all of my cards out on a few occasions, so I'm sure I'll find it in the couch, behind the counsel table or in a toy box some day.

[davidhale]

Anyone's references been contacted? Nothing on my end. We supposedly have approximately another month, I was curious to know if you guys know of any progress .

[MaxRex33]

Nothing on my end... But at least we are almost to the light at the end of the tunnel... We should hear something by mid/ end of May. If not sooner...

[Future_OSHP]

Nothing here either. When I met with my BI initialy they said references might not get contacted until late April or early May.

[Bauer]

Not a word... on a better note, my new social security card came just about 5 days after I filed for it and I got it into my BI. lol (Also found my old one the day after I got it..it was in my wife's old wallet. No idea how it got there.)

[MaxRex33]

Getting to the end of April, shouldn't be much longer..How's everyone doing?

[davidhale]

Trying to remain calm and stay positive.

[Bauer]

At this point, I'm numb to it. lol It's been long enough where I'm a lot less anxious. Just living life, going to work and being a parent. Got enough on my plate to keep my mind off it, although I do check my email daily hoping to see something in there. Hopefully we're looking at 30 days or less at this point.

I would imagine it'll move fairly quickly once we get it back though. Let's say they come back May 7th or so...I would assume appeals will be right after so maybe from like the 8th-15th.... then interviews (if that's the next stage) will be scheduled over the rest of the month.... early June to hear back from that, with Psyche and medical to still be cleared before the end of the month so that the academy would start in July.

Just my guess anyway.

[Bauer]

Off topic, but any of you guys check out Flint Town on Netflix? I thought it was really interesting.

[Adam2015]

I literally watched the whole first season back to back lol, and I cant wait for another season, was really good, highly recommend! Glad I was made aware of it.

[MaxRex33]

I actually started watching that on Netflix a few days ago. Only about 5 episodes in but thus far it's an excellent documentary.

[davidhale]

I never heard about it but I watched two episodes last night. Quite gripping, extremely interesting; I'm looking forward to get off work to finish it.

[Bauer]

Bad news Rex...there are only 8 episodes. lol

[MaxRex33]

I finished Flint Town.... Curious, what did you ( those who have seen it in it's entirety) think about the various issues/problems, lack of support etc that plagued Flint?

[davidhale]

It makes me wonder if I'm prepared to handle citizens that completely distrust the police. That one lady who was pulled over for going the wrong way on the one way street had me confused just like the officer. She had no reason to lie but she did. That dissonance between the community who dismisses the police and the officers who want to keep the city safe is probably the hardest part for me.
And the end where the city takes the money and gives them less funding. It's insane. I've never liked politics and that's the exact reason why. Those officers went around on foot to convince people to keep the millage and the city takes that money for other purposes.
It was nice to see that those officers worked together regardless of their political alignment. I'm more liberal than conservative and I have mixed ethnicity; so I was worried a bit about being singled out in the department. It's not that I think tpd is secretly racist or I'll be pushed aside, but when you have been on the receiving end you do put up a wall by default.

[MaxRex33]

To me trust is earned, nobody trusts political representatives, police, attorneys, judges, doctors, etc due to some of those individuals who have disgraced the position they held. On the other hand there are citizens who have made the choice to rebell towards those individuals and cause chaos in the form of crimes, murder in retaliation. It is a huge problem on both sides! Police are consistently wondering if they are going to get ambushed, and citizens wonder if today is the day the are going to die by the hands of LEO. Here in Toledo we could easily become Flint, we have already had our own water crisis, and it definitely could happen again. Right now we are citizens, 40 of those who are in this process will get the opportunity to change this fear people have, but as citizens what are we, our family, friends doing to instill and prompt change towards LEO? The door goes both ways! We need change, and we need it now.
davidhale, I have to say that I don't completely know how you feel, you are concerned about negativity due from those who choose to be racist, and it's awful that you feel that way, but you can use that feeling. You can reach those who also feel that and give them a light at the end of the tunnel, showing that police do understand and give them a sense of relief and care about them and the way they feel.
In this process, I am also considered "minority" since a good percentage of LEO are white males, and I am not a male. I know I have a big disadvantage since I am not considered "tough" by the male standards, I'm looked at as weak, too sensitive, etc etc and I know most men feel that way, especially in LE, but that's not going to stop me. It's going to make me work harder and prove what I'm capable of doing.

[davidhale]

It's rough but by no means am I painting myself as a martyr or that my experiences have been as evil as it has been to others. But I am hoping those experiences do give me a way to connect with the part of the community that deals with it daily.

[Adam2015]

Honestly, lack of budget for the city is the biggest issue and partly because people in that city dont seem to want to work because of, in my opinion, the morale in the city. It seemed as well that the city was getting little to no help or support from the government in dealing with the Flint crisis. Lastly, the citizens could not keep faith with the police department because any time they would get money for the department, and get the citizens back on their side, the commissioners would just take some of the funding and put it else where. The city doesn't know how to budget, and as a result, everything in that city has went to crap. Would really like more episodes to come out so I can see how the positive progressions within the city and the department have come along.

[Bauer]

David, are you from Toledo?

[davidhale]

I lived in Toledo from 2004 to 2009 and moved back last summer.

[Bauer]

Also, I apologize Rex..I assumed you were a male from your name on here. Didn't mean to exclude you by saying fellas, guys, etc. lol

[MaxRex33]

It's all good Bauer, no need to apologize, I take no offense. My name on here was my dogs names at the time I signed up on this site yrs ago.