Previous Application History?

[CONAN]

Wow I am soaking up lots of hints and tips by reading the different questions on different subjetcs and then the answers!  My question is that I have applied with police depts before where they ask if you have ever applied with another agency before (I assume so they can contact that agency and see if they have any good/bad info. on you), however the police dept. I am currently applying with does not ask this in the Background packet, however they ask if you have ever been "rejected" by a LE agency.  Is there some sort of nationwide LE database where a dept. can plug in your ssn# and name and see if you have ever applied with another dept before anywhere in the world or is this only a concern with some depts seeing how every dept. collects different information?  The reason I ask is I ran into a situation that happened in HS that I had cleared up with the PD I was applying with back 4 years ago in referenc to the question of "Have you ever committed any of these crimes..." but they keep records for 5 years and I would hate for this topic to come up all over again when it was cleared up once already.  But everything I read states that when you apply with a LE agency they will find out everything and anything about you, does this include whether you have applied with other agencies before?  Hope I asked my question clearly enough.  Thanks!

[JimCMR]

Conan;

You never know what "Big Brother" has on you.  I used to keep all applications, and would cross check old applications with any new ones received.  Sometimes you think 2 different people have the same address and SS number, the way things change on apps.

I don't know of any national data base on applicants, perhaps Charlie, who I am sure has done many background searches can tell us if this exists.

I was never asked to contribute to such a data base.  But remember that departments do communicate with each other.  As a former commissioner, I am active in the Commissioners association, and have traded info with other commissioners on various applicants, some good info, and some not so good, but be advised, you can't hide much for too long.

JimCMR

[CONAN]

Sure this is all true but when they ask if you have ever been "rejected" by another agency hwo do they know if your telling the truth unless they can somehow verify it?  That I guess is my question as well.  Thanks for the reply.

[JimCMR]

Conan;  All you can do is answer truthfully.

A lie could come back to haunt you later, and could cost you your job for a false application.

This could happen 10 years or more down the road.

It is not worth the chance.

Jim

[Charlie]

Conan--Cannot agree more with Jim's assessment and comments about your questions. And, to my knowledge, there is no so-called national applicant data base being maintained where one agency can magically check and see if you've ever applied with another agency anywhere else. ;D

Yes, agencies may commonly "swap" information about applicants. That is, you apply at one agency and they know that you also applied at agency "X." How much information is exchanged also may vary. Everyone, including LE agencies, are commonly hesitant to release some types of information. Some will only pass on little, very basic to everything you want to know abut a person that they know. Just depends who you talk to.  

Agencies also retain applicant information but HOW LONG they retain it generally depends on the agency and whatever their policy may be. I have heard various time frames such as 2, 5 or 10 years. And then they're destroyed. BUT, there are some that keep them indefinitely.

There are also some data bases that are available from a commercial business. And it can be a little scary! (Welcome to the computerized information age!) There's one database we just got (but I forgot the name of the database) that can, for example, go back up to something like 30-years and tell us every place someone has ever lived!!!  

It draws, from what I am told, its information from several other sources. Course, a "customer", like us for example, pay a certain fee for the inquiries we make. I have not had a chance to play with it much to see all of it's capabilities. 8)

My advice, tell it like it is. I suspect that it is possible that the BI will likely find out things anyways. One way or another, you might have to. Most departments have a clause in their applications that if you fail to disclose certain information they ask for, it can cause problems for you.

Good luck.

Charlie