Applicant Question: Background: Blunt

[RyanFLA]

Hey all, Just a quick question. As always be blunt, Thanks!

I am 22 years of age(23 august), with an AA in Criminal justice, almost finished with my BS(3.543GPA). My Work history is better than most my age with over 4 years in the same company, promoted above the rest currently as an ASM. I have no criminal history, my only faults are speeding tickets at the age of 16-18. Within those two years I have accrued five speeding tickets. One for five over, three where 10-12 over and my last was 102 in a 70mph zone. I am well aware that these are going to hurt my chances in a LE career. 3/5 tickets will have dropped off by this October. I have grown up a lot since high school. Married, buying a house this month, good work ethic, etc. While answering these questions, I ask that you assume that I continue to clean my record.

What do you think my chances are of getting hired?

What can I do to help boost my chances?

[Dingo990]

Wow, in my state unless you had a lawyer, your license probably would have been suspended for a time.

Either way, yeah it will hurt. But if you've been good for 5 years, that will definitely help the department forget about those speeding violations.

Bottom line it probably won't be a deal breaker at many PDs, but if you are borderline, it might come into play.

[Bearcat357]

Within those two years I have accrued five speeding tickets.

As Dingo stated, in our area that would have gotten you suspended....Not good. Guys/Gals I know that have had licenses suspened/revoked had to wait a good 4-5 years before they could even look.....as they got crapped canned......

One for five over

No biggie...

three where 10-12 over

Pushing it.....but still nothing major....

and my last was 102 in a 70mph zone.

That would have gotten you a weekend in jail....and your license suspended for 30-45 days....

[Iowa #1603]

Pretty much what Dingo and Bearcat said^^^^^^^

There are no deal breakers, however most departments are going to look at your citation history with a very critical eye.

You have shown some bad judgment and it will most likely haunt you for a while. 4 yrs have passed since that time with a good work history etc. That is good


One thing you have to remember is that you will be competing against people with work and academic records just as good or better than yours..............with ZERO black marks against their traffic history. Hiring decisions between candidates can sometimes be left to a virtual toss of a coin for equal circumstances.

[PhilipCal]

Hey all, Just a quick question. As always be blunt, Thanks!

I am 22 years of age(23 august), with an AA in Criminal justice, almost finished with my BS(3.543GPA). My Work history is better than most my age with over 4 years in the same company, promoted above the rest currently as an ASM. I have no criminal history, my only faults are speeding tickets at the age of 16-18. Within those two years I have accrued five speeding tickets. One for five over, three where 10-12 over and my last was 102 in a 70mph zone. I am well aware that these are going to hurt my chances in a LE career. 3/5 tickets will have dropped off by this October. I have grown up a lot since high school. Married, buying a house this month, good work ethic, etc. While answering these questions, I ask that you assume that I continue to clean my record.

What do you think my chances are of getting hired?

What can I do to help boost my chances?

Ryan, I assume you desire honesty. That being the case, your Motor Vehicle History sucks. Here's what my Agency has to say about it. "Any history of arrests or violations which evidence a disregard /disrespect for the law are grounds for disqualification". Your Motor Vehicle History fits that criteria. Keep in mind too, that a Background Investigator can(and will) access your entire Motor Vehicle history. With your admitted record of violations, the Investigator would invariably check to see if there was an additional history of violations. 102 MPH in a 70MPH zone. That's 32MPH over the posted limit, and aggravated speeding in Alabama. I wouldn't be too surprised if there isn't at least one suspension on your Driving History. I also will not automatically assume that you'll continue to clean your record. The evidence suggests that I make the opposite assumption: that you'll continue your history of violations. Little bit harsh, isn't it? It's also true. At the very minimum, you'll need at least three to five years,(more like five) of violation free driving. Your academic and work histories, while commendable, won't offset your abysmal driving record. Keep in mind too, that the current LE market is inundated with quality applicants. This includes Officers laid off due to the still lousy economy, and applicants who don't bring your driving issues to the table. Once more, I assume you desired honesty.

[Dingo990]

Keep in mind too, that the current LE market is inundated with quality applicants. This includes Officers laid off due to the still lousy economy, and applicants who don't bring your driving issues to the table. Once more, I assume you desired honesty.

This....

Every time we do a hiring process, I'd say we have at least 10-15 LEOs looking for a job. While lay offs haven't really happened in my area, a lot of them are officers from rural areas seeking better pay/benefits. My department tends to be pretty fair in hiring practices, but Philip makes an excellent point, you will be going up against a lot of very qualified people. Like I said before, your driving history isn't a deal-breaker, but you probably have to apply to multiple agencies.

[RyanFLA]

Ryan, I assume you desire honesty. That being the case, your Motor Vehicle History sucks. Here's what my Agency has to say about it. "Any history of arrests or violations which evidence a disregard /disrespect for the law are grounds for disqualification". Your Motor Vehicle History fits that criteria. Keep in mind too, that a Background Investigator can(and will) access your entire Motor Vehicle history. With your admitted record of violations, the Investigator would invariably check to see if there was an additional history of violations. 102 MPH in a 70MPH zone. That's 32MPH over the posted limit, and aggravated speeding in Alabama. I wouldn't be too surprised if there isn't at least one suspension on your Driving History. I also will not automatically assume that you'll continue to clean your record. The evidence suggests that I make the opposite assumption: that you'll continue your history of violations. Little bit harsh, isn't it? It's also true. At the very minimum, you'll need at least three to five years,(more like five) of violation free driving. Your academic and work histories, while commendable, won't offset your abysmal driving record. Keep in mind too, that the current LE market is inundated with quality applicants. This includes Officers laid off due to the still lousy economy, and applicants who don't bring your driving issues to the table. Once more, I assume you desired honesty.

I absolutely wanted an honest answer, I am happy to say my license has never been suspended. Also my post earlier consists of my entire record, You cant help me if am not upfront and truthful of my mistakes. I also understand that my tickets show disregard for the law, which it was. I was a dumb teenager hanging out with wrong people, I have since cut all ties with those types and continue to stay away from them. I am now a leader to my friends and employees. I hopeI will be able to explain my way through the process ahead of me, Thank you all for being honest. Be safe out there, I hope to be in your shoes someday.

[PhilipCal]

I absolutely wanted an honest answer, I am happy to say my license has never been suspended. Also my post earlier consists of my entire record, You cant help me if am not upfront and truthful of my mistakes. I also understand that my tickets show disregard for the law, which it was. I was a dumb teenager hanging out with wrong people, I have since cut all ties with those types and continue to stay away from them. I am now a leader to my friends and employees. I hopeI will be able to explain my way through the process ahead of me, Thank you all for being honest. Be safe out there, I hope to be in your shoes someday.

Ryan, one part of your response caught my eye, and I want to comment on it. "I hope to be able to explain my way through the process ahead of me". Try this. Accept the fact that you "own" your past mistakes. Accept total responsibility for them. Don't minimize or rationalize them. Go back and read some applicant's posts and you'll see what I mean. No one traffic violation is a killer. It's the total number of violations which is going to cause you some problems. Time is your ally. Three years violation free is a little optimistic , five years closer to reality. Keep your goal(s) in mind. Keep up your enviable work record and good citizenship.

[vincelli]

As the others have pointed out, traffic violations are often not even a speed-bump in the hiring process. Unfortunately, I'm speaking of normal driving habits (i.e. a couple tickets over time).

Your record is a bit over the top. Not a show-stopper, but definitely not what an Agency wants to see. The 100+ is a definite eye-catcher.

Luckily, although some Agencies may choose not to ever touch you, there are plenty that will consider you given enough time.

You're in a dangerous place. Your current life (taking everything as honest) makes you appear to be a good candidate, however, your past actions have put you in a place in which ANY future traffic violations would start the five-year clock ticking all over again; even a single low-violation ticket.

Most applicants don't have to go through life paranoid about getting a ticket for misjudging a red-light. You on the other hand do.

And more importantly, any criminal offense coupled with your driving record could very easily kill your chances forever, even a fairly minor offense. Staying out of trouble needs to be your mantra if you wish to succeed.

-V

EDIT: And pay VERY CLOSE attention to what Phil is telling you about "owning" your mistakes. That could very well make or break you in your circumstance.

[BigDog4907]

The guys are all right about "owning" your past. However, I noticed something different, that may work in your favor. You have grown up. It has been 4 years since last ticket, you have been with the same company for 4 years, your married, buying a house. It looks like you grew up. That is a positive. But, like has been said, there are a LOT of guys you there with years of experience as a cop (laid off) no negative history at all AND it is currently a weak market. Continue with your education, see if you can get some experience as a reserve officer and just realize that it will take time and a lot of persistence on your part.

[HoldFast]

The guys are all right about "owning" your past. However, I noticed something different, that may work in your favor. You have grown up. It has been 4 years since last ticket, you have been with the same company for 4 years, your married, buying a house. It looks like you grew up. That is a positive. But, like has been said, there are a LOT of guys you there with years of experience as a cop (laid off) no negative history at all AND it is currently a weak market. Continue with your education, see if you can get some experience as a reserve officer and just realize that it will take time and a lot of persistence on your part.

Thats probably going to be your best answer. Well said +1

[FL Trooper]

The good thing is that most of the agencies in your area, excluding HCSO, won't care about a handful of tickets four years ago. That being said, the job market for cops in FL right now is crap. Some agencies are hiring, like Plant City PD, but they have very few openings. And with our current Governonr and all the hell he's raising it's only going to get harder to find a job in FL. If your willing to look outside Hillsborough County I know several departments that are hiring in Manatee and Polk. Shoot me a PM if you're interested.