Theft And Drugs-want To Be A Cop

[Arthur]

Ok, so as I finished high school I experimented with marijuana, i was not a frequent user but a user nonetheless.  Also, I used to shoplift, until I was caught once and charged with a petty theft misdemeanor. I have decided to pursue a career in law enforcement,but I am worried about my chances in ever becoming a cop with the misdemeanor on my record, and history of drug use. is it a lost cause for me to try to become an officer?

[Rayhurn]

Good morning Antoinette,

Some of this depends on how long it has been since your last use and your application date. Also the amount of time that has passed since your petty theft charges occurred. The longer the time between your use and theft arrest and your application date the better. Departments are generally looking for 3 to 5 years between your last use of illegal drugs and the time that you apply. The misdemeanor arrest should not be a big deal as long as it was only the one time and was adjudicated through the courts correctly.

You will be asked about the marijuana use and how frequent it was and for how long. If you used marijuana over an extended period of time and show a pattern of a habitual user, this will be an item that will be discussed by you and your background investigator. In addition you say that you used to shoplift until you were caught, they will ask how many times you shoplifted before you were caught. They look for patterns of behavior that reveal a personality of a type that may be susceptible to certain things.

Those items are up to your background investigator and you to discuss. I would say that you will have some explaining to do and depending upon your answers and the background investigator will be the outcome of the investigation.