Deferred Entry - And becomming a cop?

[Menekali]

Hello all. Im really looking for insight into this.

I live in San diego California. And i want to become a police officer soon. I'm 19 years old, turning 20 soon. I was charged with 4 counts of burglery, for being with someone i thought i trusted while he went through someones house, telling me is was his aunts house, and a line of other lies i was moronic enough to believe.

So i passed my F90 Deferred entry program. And from what i know, my record was cleared.

What i really want to know however, is if anyone knows how this officially works. Was my record, cleared or was it sealed? Because they are felony crimes, im automatically disqualified, from being a cop, and this is really a life dream of mine. However, if they were dropped completley (and im pretty sure that's how it works), then my record will show nothing. The cops can obviously get a hold of a sealed record easily, however if the records show nothing of the arrest (and im pretty sure they dont) then i can do this. Please anyone ease my anxiety! Thanks!

If it helps also, i completed this program about a year ago, and have recently taken the serous route wanting to become a cop. Serious as in studying for the tests and getting into physical shape, but i have always dreamed of it in the past =D

 

[CdwJava]

I think you mean "790" - not "F90" ...

Deferred as a juvenile or not, the record exists somewhere. It will be discovered in the background process. And unless you are up front with investigators at the outset, it will appear deceptive and you will never be employed as a peace officer in CA.

I am a CA peace officer and supervisor, and I also conduct background checks on police employees. If this came up - deferred judgment or not - your process would almost certainly be ceased at that moment.

Your best bet would be to finish college and put time and responsible behavior between your youth and the time of your application. I would wait until you have an impressive track record of life so that you can say that this was an abherrant act in your youth and not representative of who you are today.


- Carl

 

[Menekali]

I think you mean "790" - not "F90" ...

Deferred as a juvenile or not, the record exists somewhere. It will be discovered in the background process. And unless you are up front with investigators at the outset, it will appear deceptive and you will never be employed as a peace officer in CA.

I am a CA peace officer and supervisor, and I also conduct background checks on police employees. If this came up - deferred judgment or not - your process would almost certainly be ceased at that moment.

Your best bet would be to finish college and put time and responsible behavior between your youth and the time of your application. I would wait until you have an impressive track record of life so that you can say that this was an abherrant act in your youth and not representative of who you are today.


- Carl

I must say, i'm more than dissapointed about it. It really sucks. But if i go to school, and get my degree in something like criminal justice, would i be totaly wasting my time? Would it actually matter? The disqualifiers on the sdpd site say any offenses juvenile or adult, but since your a police officer, would you hire someone say 7-10 years after the fact, that had a degree and this is my only offense, and plan for it to stay that way.

Btw: I did mean 790 sorry it had been a while 8/

 

[CdwJava]

I must say, i'm more than dissapointed about it. It really sucks. But if i go to school, and get my degree in something like criminal justice, would i be totaly wasting my time? Would it actually matter? The disqualifiers on the sdpd site say any offenses juvenile or adult, but since your a police officer, would you hire someone say 7-10 years after the fact, that had a degree and this is my only offense, and plan for it to stay that way.

Btw: I did mean 790 sorry it had been a while 8/

The KEY is going to be what actually happens to the convictions. If they are truly deferred, and they become officially the same as NEVER being arrested, then you stand a realistic chance several years down the road. But, the more time and good works you put between yourself and this event, the better off.

Before you apply with anyone, contact the DOJ and find out how to get a copy of your CORI (criminal offender) file. Even if DOJ has no criminal history for you, local agencies will - and part of the background includes seeking any and all contacts with you wherever you have lived. So, an investigating agency WILL find your juvenile history even if they can't find out all that happened.

When/if you do apply anywhere, when you get to the background process be completely forthcoming. If you try to play the semantic game because you legally did not have to disclose it, you will never be hired once it is found. If you mention it, then it is not a surprise ... we hate surprises.

It IS possible to get into law enforcement as long as the arrest was truly deferred and eliminated. But, it will take time to put it into an irrelevant distant context.

- Carl

 

[Menekali]

The KEY is going to be what actually happens to the convictions. If they are truly deferred, and they become officially the same as NEVER being arrested, then you stand a realistic chance several years down the road. But, the more time and good works you put between yourself and this event, the better off.

Before you apply with anyone, contact the DOJ and find out how to get a copy of your CORI (criminal offender) file. Even if DOJ has no criminal history for you, local agencies will - and part of the background includes seeking any and all contacts with you wherever you have lived. So, an investigating agency WILL find your juvenile history even if they can't find out all that happened.

When/if you do apply anywhere, when you get to the background process be completely forthcoming. If you try to play the semantic game because you legally did not have to disclose it, you will never be hired once it is found. If you mention it, then it is not a surprise ... we hate surprises.

It IS possible to get into law enforcement as long as the arrest was truly deferred and eliminated. But, it will take time to put it into an irrelevant distant context.

- Carl

Yea that's what i've been told, to be totally honest. And that's idealy i what i want to be. I did infact complete my deferred entry, so it IS deferred. They said the charges were there and then dropped, and that my record would show not even anything of an arrest. But i will take your advice. I guess im going to have to wait a number of years before i apply. Ill try to talk to someone before i do apply there at the office, and ask them their opinion, or something. This really sucks, had my heart set on this, now i just feel like a loser criminal, when i actually want to be the total opposite. Thanks for your help carl i appreciate it, the guys over at the realpolice forum told me im looking forward to a job flipping burgers and stuff, you actually helped. Thanks.

 

[CdwJava]

Yea that's what i've been told, to be totally honest. And that's idealy i what i want to be. I did infact complete my deferred entry, so it IS deferred. They said the charges were there and then dropped, and that my record would show not even anything of an arrest. But i will take your advice. I guess im going to have to wait a number of years before i apply. Ill try to talk to someone before i do apply there at the office, and ask them their opinion, or something. This really sucks, had my heart set on this, now i just feel like a loser criminal, when i actually want to be the total opposite. Thanks for your help carl i appreciate it, the guys over at the realpolice forum told me im looking forward to a job flipping burgers and stuff, you actually helped. Thanks.

Well, there MAY be some places that will look at you before you've taken some more time.

School is a good option between now and then. Consider that you still have at least another year before you stand a real chance of being considered anyway ... in this day and age to succeed in law enforcement you WILL need a degree ... and obtaining a college degree once you start work as a cop will be very, very difficult. You need the college anyway, so you might as well kill two birds here - get that needed education AND show that you can be mature, responsible, and put a few years of real life behind you.

The officers most likely to screw up and get badge heavy are those that start the career at or near 21. We males tend not to emotionally mature too well until somewhere in our mid-20's, and having all that authority when you are still a kid (for the most part) is bad news.

You can TRY to apply before then, but know that once you get in to the background process with one agency, EVERYTHING that agency finds out and concludes will be available and known to the next one ... and so on. So if you get rejected at 21, that will weigh heavily ... and a lot of rejections will make later agencies think even harder about you.

In my opinion the BEST thing to do would be to go get that degree, get a solid, steady job (part or full time) and show responsibility by staying with the same employer until the time you apply somewhere. Bouncing jobs, partying, and generally wasting time will look bad on a background.

- Carl

 

[Menekali]

Well, there MAY be some places that will look at you before you've taken some more time.

School is a good option between now and then. Consider that you still have at least another year before you stand a real chance of being considered anyway ... in this day and age to succeed in law enforcement you WILL need a degree ... and obtaining a college degree once you start work as a cop will be very, very difficult. You need the college anyway, so you might as well kill two birds here - get that needed education AND show that you can be mature, responsible, and put a few years of real life behind you.

The officers most likely to screw up and get badge heavy are those that start the career at or near 21. We males tend not to emotionally mature too well until somewhere in our mid-20's, and having all that authority when you are still a kid (for the most part) is bad news.

You can TRY to apply before then, but know that once you get in to the background process with one agency, EVERYTHING that agency finds out and concludes will be available and known to the next one ... and so on. So if you get rejected at 21, that will weigh heavily ... and a lot of rejections will make later agencies think even harder about you.

In my opinion the BEST thing to do would be to go get that degree, get a solid, steady job (part or full time) and show responsibility by staying with the same employer until the time you apply somewhere. Bouncing jobs, partying, and generally wasting time will look bad on a background.

- Carl

Thanks man your great, giving me hope here. I'm still very dissapointed, but if i know i have some sort of fighting chance ill be ok. Going to school for criminal justice feels like it might be putting all my eggs in one basket (for lack of a better cliche hehe), if i only have the CHANCE of doin gthis, but i want it so bad even the chance is enough for me at this point. I will pu tsome years behind me, a solid job some where doing something (i computer program atm from home, i dropped computer programming to the dream of becomming a police officer here in san diego), get my degree in criminal justice, and when i go, just tell them out right, "yes i messed up when i was younger, i was 16, 2* now, got my degree, been working hard, PLEASE hire me heh". Even if i had to work at a grunt, even with the degree for years and years, im fine with that, just that the job so bad.

Thanks again carl your a real pal

 

[CdwJava]

Any job that you hold on to and do well with will show maturity and demonstrate that you have moved past your rambunctious youth. If at 16, I would recommend waiting to at LEAST 23 before applying somewhere ... maybe a little longer. Computer work and experience will also enhance your promotability and career options as it has mine - too many cops are computer illiterate, so it is an important skill.

Good luck, and go forth to sin no more.

- Carl

 

[Menekali]

Any job that you hold on to and do well with will show maturity and demonstrate that you have moved past your rambunctious youth. If at 16, I would recommend waiting to at LEAST 23 before applying somewhere ... maybe a little longer. Computer work and experience will also enhance your promotability and career options as it has mine - too many cops are computer illiterate, so it is an important skill.

Good luck, and go forth to sin no more.

- Carl

Awsome. I know 6 programming languages, have a SQL Database Certification, and a CISCO CCNA Networking certification. I really don't fit the build of a criminal, im a friggin' computer geek. I play games, program till the early hours, and do websites for people for some extra cash. Thanks alot, really i appreciate it, everyone so far has told me NO YOUR NO GOOD, NO POLICE OFFICER JOB FOR YOU LOSER. But your making it seem possible, and you have no idea how much it has helped, if you were here, i'd hug you. Thanks again, and if at all possible ,could i contact you personally (your email is in your signature) and update you some day?

 

[CdwJava]

Awsome. I know 6 programming languages, have a SQL Database Certification, and a CISCO CCNA Networking certification. I really don't fit the build of a criminal, im a friggin' computer geek. I play games, program till the early hours, and do websites for people for some extra cash. Thanks alot, really i appreciate it, everyone so far has told me NO YOUR NO GOOD, NO POLICE OFFICER JOB FOR YOU LOSER. But your making it seem possible, and you have no idea how much it has helped, if you were here, i'd hug you. Thanks again, and if at all possible ,could i contact you personally (your email is in your signature) and update you some day?

Sure. You can contact me - that's why my e-mail is there.

And while the odds are a little skewed toward the negative, there are ways to balance out the scales. Some agencies won't look at you once they find this out ... others might. It really could depend on where you go. Smaller agencies in the central valley might be more willing to help you re-hab your career than large agencies with huge applicant pools to draw from. The greater your competition, the more likely the chance that you might get weeded out when this comes to light.

That isn't to say that small agencies have lower standards, only that they might be able to give special consideration to all the facts surrounding something than a large agency where there are dozens of backgrounds being done at the same time.

It's certainly no guarantee, but time and good works and education are your friend right now.

Good luck.

- Carl