DOES AGE REALLY MATTER?????

[SANTIAGO]

Hey thanks for your last response. Another question I have is, how much of a chance does a person with my age (21) have to become a police officer? Especially now that my drug usage is so recent?

[junior]

santiago,

it really depends on the availability of qualified applicants .  if the dept that you are applying with is hurting for officers, and the applicant pool is shallow, then you may have a shot.  it is not at all impossible to be hired at age 21 .  since police officers are given a tremendous amount of authority, one's maturity level is looked at heavily during the hiring process.

if two applicants have the exact same qualifications but one is 21, and the other is 27, more than likely the latter will be hired.  please don't take me the wrong way, i'm not saying that you are immature.  what makes a good cop generally can't be taught in a police academy, it must be acquired.  "older" applicants tend to have many more life experiences and "street smarts" than someone younger .

as i mentioned before, you still have a chance at being hired somewhere so don't give up! ;D  you are young and you made a dumb mistake....no big deal.  when the time comes be prepared to take responsibility for what you did.  be honest!!  you may very well be more mature than some 30 yr olds  ;D.  good luck.

junior  8)

[Charlie]

SANTIAGO--Just to build on Junior's comments, here's generally on target with his thoughts about this. Age can be a factor concerning someone applying for a LE position.

Broadly speaking, it is commonplace for LE agencies to hire someone who is, preferably, at or about their mid 20's or so. This seems to be the common trend. Why? The general thought is the person is likely more mature than someone who is 21 and just out of college. Is that always true? Of course not. I can tell you I work with a new officer who is 22 years old and he acts very mature for his age and does an excellent job for us. But, unfortunately, not everyone is the same.

Like junior also pointed out and to build on it a little for emphasis: The number of applicants versas the number of positions available can also be a factor as well. Obviously, for example, if there are 500 applicants applying for 5 positions, then there is going to be a heck of a lot more competition for those positions. On the other hand, if there are only say, 50 people for the same 5 positions, the competition is still there but not as intense. There's even less with fewer applicants for the same positions as well.  ;DI am sure you get my point. 8)

If you are only 21 and depending upon where you apply for a LE job, you might more realisitically increase your chances if you get some college under your belt if you don't have any. AND, stay clean too! Time is on your side. If you can distance yourself (Based on what I read on your post) since the last time you used with some significant time period, it's more in your favor. A lot of departments typically have some regulations about the "last time used." For example, with marijuana, some departments I have seen have a 1 year to 5 year time frame since someone last used marijuana. BUT, you'll have to check with any agency you have interest in to find out what they specifically require.

Sorry to ramble. Hope maybe I have helped in some small way. ;D

Charlie

['Guest']

I don`t know if I am being biased here, but I would have to disagree with some departments hiring procedures.  Alot, are very stereotypical.  My local departemnt just hired a 21 year old girl, but if a 21 year old guy was to walk in, he would be pretty much laughed out of their.  In the past officers were hired at 19, and have been very effective.  Alot now retired at 50 because of pensions, why not hire some younger people who prove to be mature enough you will be getting more for your buck.  You hire a 32 year old, retirement is much closer then a 21 year old.  just my thoughts, but I am very edgy on this topic.

[Charlie]

Marco--Your comments are welcomed here. It's always good to get someone else's thoughts in the mix!

I stand by my previous post concerning this topic but I would also like to add a few more thoughts in light of your post:

* Always remember that all departments have their own way of doing things. And, qualifications also differ greatly as well. Hence, what I have often said here, "Not everyone does things the same way." Qualifications and what a department looks for in a candidate can differ greatly.

* The realities of hiring goals also exists in a variety of departments. No discount or disrespect to anyone who is female but, the reality IS, female candidates are in big demand!!! Departments are often very anxious to add female officers to their ranks. It is a possibility that they came across a viable female candidate who met their criteria and she was fortunate enought to get hired on board the department. I would also suspect that if a female and male candidate, assuming things are equal between them, were to apply for a position, it's likely the female may get hired. That's just the reality in today's job market both inside and outside the LE field.

* Another reality in today's LE profession: Hiring someone is likely possible at the age of 19 depending on the department BUT I think it is more likely a slightly older candidate will be preferred. There was a time when maybe 19 year old cops might have been more commonplace years ago. But these days there are a lot more issues today's LE officer is facing that 19 ear olds back then likely never faced. Today's cops have to be better educated AND more mature to deal with things out there. Again, I am not saying a 19 year old can't handle it but I do believe there are few who really can in today's society.

* Finally, I think today's forces are made up with a variety of people from all walks of life and age. Wouldn't you also agree that someone who is 32 is just as capable of doing the job like someone who is 19? Besides, I think there are fewer people these days also who would stay with a department from age 19 to their retirement age. And this thought does not necessarily apply to just law enforcement. A lot of employers see a similar situation concerning the retirement situation.

Again, like it or not, fair or unfair as it may seem....but this is the reality of the job market out there. I can only encourage you or anyone else this might apply to:
* Find out the department's hiring qualifications.
* Work on furthering your education.
* Avoid drug use.
* Stay clean.

Again, I think you have some valid concerns but you have to accept the reality of what really is going on out there.

Charlie