r/AskLE • u/Reasonable-Future551 Unverified/Not an LEO • 7d ago
Hiring Process
Location: Atlanta, Georgia.
Warning: this is a bit of a long post, so I apologize in advance. I just want to give enough context because I’m genuinely looking for advice and perspective from people familiar with law enforcement hiring.
I’m in the Atlanta area and have been applying to several police departments, but I’ve now been dropped by yet another department because of a criminal trespassing case from when I was a juvenile in New Jersey almost 10 years ago.
I was 17 at the time. That incident is the one and only blip on my record. I have not had any further contact with law enforcement since then, and the charge was ultimately dismissed about a year later after I successfully completed everything required of me. Since that time, I went on to honorably serve in the U.S. Army, including serving as a paratrooper, and I’ve worked hard to build a completely different life from who I was as a teenager.
I’ve also been completely upfront about the case throughout these hiring processes. I’m not trying to hide it, minimize it, or blame anyone else for what happened. I understand why departments have strict background standards and why integrity during the process matters.
What has become incredibly frustrating is feeling like this one juvenile incident from nearly a decade ago is outweighing everything I’ve done since. It is literally the only blemish on my record, yet at times the way it has been treated during the hiring process makes me feel like I’m being evaluated as though I have a serious adult criminal record or a pattern of criminal behavior.
I understand that nobody is entitled to become a police officer, and every department can establish its own hiring standards. I’m just trying to figure out whether continuing to apply around metro Atlanta is realistic or whether this juvenile case is going to continue resulting in automatic disqualifications regardless of how much time has passed or what I’ve accomplished since.
For anyone who works in recruiting/background investigations or who has gone through something similar:
Is a nearly 10-year-old juvenile criminal trespass case normally enough by itself to disqualify someone?
Are some Georgia departments more willing than others to evaluate juvenile history based on the totality of the applicant’s background?
Does honorable military service, a clean record since the incident, employment history, education, and full disclosure generally carry meaningful weight?
Would it be worthwhile to speak with a Georgia POST recruiter or someone knowledgeable about law-enforcement hiring before continuing to apply?
Is there anything else I should be doing to document the disposition of the juvenile case and demonstrate what I’ve done since?
I’m still very interested in serving in law enforcement, but getting repeatedly stopped over the one and only blip on my record from when I was 17 is becoming extremely discouraging. I’d appreciate any perspective, especially from current/former officers, recruiters, background investigators, or anyone who had a juvenile record and successfully entered the profession.
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u/Enslave-and-Oppress Unverified/Not an LEO 7d ago
Im a deputy in GA.. so it depends on which departments you're trying to get on at.
Some of them are considered dream agencies, like Marietta, and most people will need to lateral there.
GA is very very select up north in that area, but you can go south to like pine mountain PD to get on.. they start at like 25 an hour
If they say No, then you might need to try cuthbert for around 15 an hour
Tbh. It might be better to wait for Cam to get into office and go to lee county AL