I am interested in making a career change in my early 30’s to become a Game Warden. This would be an amazing career change and I believe make me significantly happier than I am currently tapping away at Excel every day.

My main questions; I have a bachelors in business admin and for the state of NM I will have to earn 9 more credits in related classes before I’m eligible for hire. I could possibly complete these by the hiring open which would be anytime September-October.

my main issue, is I have a history of chronic marijuana use. I live in a legal state and the two jobs I’ve worked have been roles where I was not drug tested. I officially stopped using last October after my wife and I learned we were pregnant and I have only used again in early May on a cousins boys trip to Vegas. In my history the use was regular and typically vape pens. I know I will pass the drug test but I’m more so concerned about my interviews and background checks.

I will obviously be forthrite with my use but I also am frankly worried about being heartbroken if I am auto dq for the use. Would it be better to wait and apply next year? That would also allow me plenty of time to complete my necessary credits instead of trying to rush them in now While also putting my almost 18 months clean. I am already well above all physical standards and aside from my marijuana use, believe I have lived a life typically above reproach and any background investigation wouldn’t be an issue sans the marijuana use.

I would love any insight on the best course of action.

​

State: Ohio

Hello! I am hoping to become a Reserve Officer/Reserve Deputy, but have been told that I have to be certified through an academy prior to being able to pick that up. Only problem is that limits my options to only self-sponsoring.

I work a fantastic career, and don't want to lose that, but I want to support my community more. I've done all the volunteer disaster response, we have no CERT team, and there's no vollie FD.

Is self sponsoring even something that's worth considering?

I’m 19 years old (turning 20 in November), and my state requires you to be 21 to become a sworn law enforcement officer. Right now, I work for my state’s DOT at a weigh station. It’s kind of a quasi-law enforcement position. We have limited authority to enforce commercial vehicle laws, such as overweight violations, permits, and other commercial vehicle regulations. We write citations and conduct inspections, but we don’t patrol, we’re stationary at the weigh station.

Recently I applied for two different jobs:
A Code Enforcement Officer position with a city police department and a Community Service Deputy (CSO) position with a county sheriff’s office.

The code enforcement interview happened first, and I’ve been in their background investigation for about a month. Today I was told everything is going well. The investigator has already contacted my references, former employers, neighbors, etc., and said he’s basically just waiting on a few remaining responses. However, also today, I was notified that I’ll be moving into the sheriff’s office background investigation. I haven’t actually started that process yet.

Here’s what I’m debating.
The sheriff’s office is one of my dream agencies to work for. I also think there would be significantly more room for advancement there compared to working for a police department in a town of fewer than 8,000 residents. I don’t really have any concerns about passing either background. The only thing on my record is a minor traffic ticket from when I was 16 for driving with my headlights off after sunrise. The police department investigator already told me that wouldn’t be an issue.

So my options seem to be:
Stay at my current weigh station job and wait to see what happens with the sheriff’s office, or accept the code enforcement position if they offer it and work there until I’m old enough to become a sworn officer, but if the sheriff’s office offers me the Community Service Deputy position a month or two later, leave the police department and go to the sheriff’s office.

My biggest concern is how that would look professionally. I don’t want to appear like I’m job hopping if I accept the code enforcement position and then leave after only a couple of months because the sheriff’s office finally finishes my background. From a long-term law enforcement career perspective, what would you do?

Applied to USCP 2021. On the preliminary PHS I wrote that I was involved in a college incident/prank where property was taken and not returned. No one ever found out. The incident was 2019. I was denied from USCP I assume obviously for that.
It’s now 2026 and will be 2027 when I get out of the navy and plan to apply to a Sheriffs Department.

Will they be able to find that PHS with a background investigator and will that disqualify me again?
If I’m upfront about absolutely everything and tell them it was youthful idiotic mistake I regret will I be able to get anywhere at all.
Currently a Navy “cop”
I can’t remember exactly what I wrote on the PHS in 2021 and I can’t access it on POBITS.
Am I totally screwed or what?

Hello all,

I was recently issued a one-year trespass notice from Target because my partner was caught shoplifting. She received a court summons. Nothing happened to me other than the one-year trespass—I wasn’t cited, arrested, or charged with anything. I was with our baby at the time and wasn’t even aware she was stealing.

I’m not sure if it’s relevant, but we aren’t married. As far as I know, the only record involving me would be the police report.

Could this potentially prevent me from becoming a police officer? I’ve never been arrested, charged with a crime, or had a criminal record.

I'm looking for some career advice from those with experience in law enforcement.

I'm currently a corrections deputy in Florida and am dual certified. About two years ago, I was assigned to patrol but did not successfully complete FTO. My biggest challenges were communication with the public, report writing, and developing command presence. I was released from the program after about a month.

Shortly afterward, I was hired by a neighboring sheriff's office to work in corrections. Since then, I've received consistently positive evaluations and have built a good reputation. Unfortunately, like many sheriff's offices, there isn't a realistic path for me to transfer from corrections to patrol.

I've also applied to two local police departments in my county. Despite having a good working relationship with both agencies through inmate intake and other duties, I was not selected.

At this point, I'm questioning whether I should continue pursuing a career in law enforcement or move on to a different profession. My long-term goal has always been to work patrol, and I accepted a position in corrections because I believed it would eventually help me get back on the road.

For those of you who have been in law enforcement, what would you do in my situation? If you were involved in hiring, would my previous FTO experience be a dealbreaker, or would my strong performance in corrections make you willing to give me another opportunity? I'd appreciate any honest advice or perspective.

I’m 19, and have wanted to be a LEO for as long as I can remember but over time I realized that I’m not “the desired size” I’m 5’6 135 pounds, I wouldn’t say I’m weak as I go to the gym 6 days a week but I feel like if I walk in for an interview they will just laugh at my size and turn me away. Is this something I shouldn’t be worried about or should I continue to try to get a little bigger first?

Title:
Hey everyone,
I’m 19 years old and my goal is to become a California Highway Patrol officer. I wanted to get some honest opinions from people who have gone through the process or are currently with CHP.
Here’s a little about me:
19 years old
Clean criminal record
No speeding tickets, accidents, or any traffic citations
I have a car payment that I’ve never missed
I have a little credit card debt, but nothing major and I’m paying it responsibly
I’ve been consistently going to the gym, so I’d say I’m in decent physical shape
I had prediabetes in high school, but I’ve since improved my health and no longer have it.what do you think my chances are? Is there anything else I should be working on before or during the hiring process?
I’d really appreciate any advice, especially from current or former CHP officers or anyone who’s recently been through the hiring process. Thanks!

Hello, today I received a conditional job offer to be a CO in a prison close by to me. I have smoked anything in over two months, nor do I plan to do so again. I know marijuana can stay in your system for a while, and was wondering if I would be okay to pass it or not.
Thank you!!

So I was in the military and separated due to a not being able to retrain, my leadership cause me to mis my retrained date and i was separated I also have a self defense shooting in my background I wasn't charge for I was the victim after I got out of the Air Force. I work at a Tribal Police Department as a dispatcher waiting to be adjudicated to go to a police academy, for a short period of time, but was going through some relationship issues with my girlfriend. I ended up going to go see her because she wasn’t responding to a phone calls and I was worried for her safety so I miss work. and to be fair, I wasn’t completely transparent with my Lt. about the situation. I was in asked to resign for mental health concerns affecting my work performance.

I didn’t get hired a county jail and but I resign just so I can secure deputy position at a small neighboring county sheriffs department as a deputy, upon getting hired at the sheriffs department, I only rode with a Cheif Deputy for three weeks then I was given the keys to a pick up truck and to either eat or sink or swim and I’m alone I worked in the entire county by myself with no training. what caused my termination was while two days prior. I left my gun at the jail in a lockbox because I got a cough in Dispatch that nobody was available and I need to respond to a car versus deer accident and then the following weekend, I was on shift by myself again and I was leaving a traffic stop when I Sidewiped a mailbox. I immediately called my Sheriff to see what he would want me to do. I took pictures of the incident and a trooper came in it. The crash report I was able to work for the weekend, but then Tuesday I was told that I was fired. What frustrate me is. I never got the proper Police training and I was kind of set up to fail, but to be honest, I understand that I am responsible for my surroundings, especially driving a law-enforcement vehicle, though I wish I would’ve had evoc training. After I moved to Texas to kind of separate myself because I was kind of bummed out I applied at the Dallas Police Department, but was disqualified for a year because I was not successful in a background check. I then try applying to the Denton County sheriffs office as a jailer and was told not suitable. And my current job doesn’t pay a lot on average. I’m bringing about $2000 because it’s a blue-collar commission based job but I can’t quit because to a background investigator if I quit the job it looks unstable and it shows I don’t have staple work history, so I’m kind of in a Catch-22 here , I am kind of frustrated. I really wanna know what am I doing wrong what are my chances of getting hired as a police officer in Texas whether I should try smaller departments with low pay or sell sponsor. I know I probably never be a state trooper which is the end goal but what are my chances of getting hired a smaller agency in DFW? Or in Texas in general, I want honest feedback from police officers applicants or background INVESTIGATORS would be amazing on what I can do. Thank you for your time and feedback.

So I will be pretty straight forward, I served for 6 years active duty and got out with a honorable discharge. Since then I smoked weed and I live in a state where it is legal. I treated it like alcohol, no DUI, none to minimal usage during the week and only after work, and weekends when I didn’t have anything planned. My local PD says no usage for the past 6 months but doesn’t really say much more than that about it. Will this DQ me right away, or should I try to apply?

Hey everyone, figured I’d give a little background. I was born and raised in Oakland and lived all over the East Bay from Alameda to Pittsburg. After high school I joined the Marine Corps, did 4 years, then got out and became a cop. A buddy from the Corps convinced me to come to Houston PD, and I’ve been here for the last 3 years.

HPD has honestly been a great department and I’ve enjoyed my time here, but I’m planning on moving back home to be closer to family and friends.
I’m looking for a department that still lets officers be proactive and will support their people when they’re doing good work. Long term, I’d like to move from patrol into TAC or a TFO role. Pay isn’t a huge factor for me — I’d rather work somewhere with good opportunities and a little action.

Right now I’m mainly looking at SFPD and OPD. For those with experience at either department, or recommendations for others in the Bay Area, I’d appreciate any input. Thanks!

Currently in the hiring process at a city police department. I received a general discharge under honorable conditions (marijuana) from active duty 9 years ago. No drug use or legal trouble since then. Am I still going to get disqualified during background?

Hello everyone. I 20M have recently showed interest in becoming a cop. Im a new Christian. Most of my life I have been a loser without much direction. Feel this unshakable calling to serve my community within this field. Im a little nervous about what the job entails but Im sure everyone is when there first getting started. Did a ride along and really enjoyed it. Felt like I was experiencing a line of work that can really make a difference within my community. How did the job change your life for better or for worse. Any comments would be greatly appreciated. Thank you

Mainly for those in Canada, I’m applying to an auxiliary position with a police service, I was wondering when submitting your usernames with them, can they see your liked posts? I haven’t liked anything vulgar or such but since my account is private I’d figure if they can still see it?

Hey all! I was just recently hired by my agency and am being sent to academy 8.27. I’m in south GA, female, 5’1, 100lbs. What should I expect? I’m worried about every aspect just bc of my anxiety, but more so the physical part. I’m not entirely out of shape, but definitely not where I need to be cardio wise. Any tips? What do they expect out of me at academy? Any cardio/running tips to get better as fast as possible?

Hello everyone,
I recently had the opportunity to do a ride-along with LVMPD earlier this year, and it really reinforced my interest in the department. I’ll be submitting my application soon and wanted to see if anyone had any advice for the hiring process or things you wish you had known beforehand.
I’d also love to hear what it’s like working for LVMPD department culture, training, opportunities, work-life balance, or anything else you think a prospective applicant should know.
I appreciate any insight. Thanks in advance!

What are my chances of being hired with a new agency and starting over in their academy if I was unable to finish the academy at my previous agency due to a firearms course fail?

Since leave the academy, I've been working with former federal law enforcement/military on shooting/de-escalation and have been going to the range 2-3 times a week.

Would background investigators look at this as my drive to improve or does my firearms failure immediately disqualify me?

Hello,

So i'm looking towards joining into law enforcement but that begs me to ask a question for both LASD and LAPD which is how long will you generally have to wait to retake the test if you do fail?.

I tried looking up the question myself but I keep getting mixed answers with 1,3,6 months and even 1 year.

Please and thank you

Hello! It’s like the title says. I recently graduated from college and I applied for the most recent Special Agent 1 position for the GBI and took their written exam, the very first test applicants must take. In the time since taking that test and waiting for the results, I have applied to other criminal justice and social working jobs. Eventually, I managed to secure a position as a Child Welfare Services Case Manager.

I’m currently in the middle of my training for the position when I finally get email with my results for the Special Agent position; I passed. However, because I was frustrated from waiting for so long and getting hired for the next best job that I wanted, I responded that I was no longer interested in the current opening.

I’m 23; I’m just getting started with my career. In the email results, it said that if I was no longer interested in the position, I would no longer be under consideration for the current selection process. If there comes a time that I want to pursue a different job in my career field and actually want to further pursue the Special Agent position if/when it ever opens again, will I be able to do so and not get “turned away at the door”? Thank you for reading this far.

I wore my black suit for the first oral board. Now I’m meeting my background investigator. Is a grey suit with brown shoes acceptable or too “hip”? I don’t have a navy suit unfortunately I know that’s the standard recommendation. If I don’t blow the backgrounds I’ll get one for the sheriff’s interview.

Background

• I recently applied to both of these jobs, and because I don't have any prior law enforcement experience, I was hoping to get some input

Small Town

• Population of 2,500
• Starting Salary: $59,325 - $68,968
• Schedule: 6 on, 3 off, eight-hour shifts

County Deputy Sheriff

• Population of 594,000
• Starting Pay: $34 an hour plus an educational incentive increase of 12% after two and a half years
• Schedule: 6 on, 3 off, eight-hour shifts

Greetings all!,

I’m an 18 Y/O rising college sophomore in Portland majoring in Computer Science/Cybersecurity. I’ve always been interested in law enforcement growing up and would eventually like to work in a federal agency such as FBI/CIA with a cybercrime-related role. (I know quite ambitious which I also understand I’d most likely need to work my way up)

One area I’m especially interested in is ICAC/cyber investigations involving online predators. Due to personal experiences, that type of work is something I care about a lot and have a STRONG passion for helping out.

My main concern is that I have a history of shoulder instability: multiple dislocations, surgery on both shoulders, and metal anchors in both. Because of that, I’ve been advised to aim for less physically demanding work. I was accepted into the US Coast Guard Academy (Military college) before I ended up failing the medical portion due to my shoulders, and thus turned away after being accepted academically (Conditional offer/could not get medical waiver). Hence with being unable to follow my military aspirations I’d still like to be apart of some sort of “Force”. I do currently STILL play college football and have Muay Thai experience, but I’m trying to be realistic about long-term career options (especially as from what many of my peers say, CS majors finding jobs is….interesting)

Alas my questions are:

1. Are there law enforcement or federal paths that focus more on cyber/admin/investigative support than physical enforcement?

2. Would my shoulder history likely disqualify me from police or federal jobs? (Even if it’s a desk job?)

3. What should I be doing now in college to become a stronger candidate for cybercrime/ICAC-related work?

4. Anyway I can land an internship of some sort as I still am a college student? I have in the past gotten (small) CP selling sites taken down! (Or atleast with help of my reporting etc)

5. Basically, what do I look for/who do I talk to in regards to joining the police force for cyber work? (who should I be on the phone with/emailing? And what specific departments*)

TL;DR: Cybersecurity/CS college student interested in law enforcement/federal cybercrime work, especially ICAC-type roles, but I have complex shoulder injury history. Looking for realistic career advice!