PAST RECORD, CHANCE OF NYPD HIRE

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I have always wanted to be a police officer but ran into some problems while in college. Prior to college, I had spent three years active duty in the military. I also went on to complete four years of service with the national guard. I recieved an honorable discharge with no problems while in the service. While in college, I was arrested five times. 1.charged with menacing 2nd (reduced to harrassment-a violation)2.criminal trespass (reduced to trespass-a violation)3.disorderly conduct (dismissed)4.disorderly conduct(public urination-paid fine)4.petty larcey(ACOD-dismissed). These incidents all occurred between the ages of 23-26. I am now 28 years old. I know these seem like a laundry list of offenses, but I was never convicted of a misdemenor and they were all violations. What are my chances if I am honest and straightforward about all my ordeals?

[junior]

aj,

it is really hard to say what your chances are.  i am assuming from your post you are interested in the nypd.  your best bet would be to contact a recruiter from there and ask if your past mistakes will be a problem.  a couple factors will figure into a depts decision.  1. how forgiving the dept is of past mistakes.  some are more forgiving than others.  2. how deep/shallow the current applicant pool is.

the problem that i see you having is the fact that these "offenses" occured at an age when a person typically is more mature and responsible.  secondly, these occured AFTER you served your military time.  USUALLY it is the other way around.  just b/c you were never convicted doesn't mean you are in the clear.  when depts are hiring an individual they tend to heavily weigh one's moral turptitude.  

as i mentioned before, contact a recruiter, officers you know, etc.  i can't stress enough to be honest about your past.  a dept can and will find out EVERYTHING.  i hope that i have not sounded too negative, i am just trying to put things in perspective.  best of luck to you.

junior  8)