Severity of the misdemeanor can play a vital role in whether a person can become a police officer. It is impossible to become a police officer with any law enforcement agency if the misdemeanor prohibits you from owning or carrying a firearm; police officers are required to carry a weapon at all times while on duty.
According to the U. However, note that the definition of a misdemeanor as minor simple or serious gross is left to the discretion of the state in which the crime was committed. Once the misdemeanor is expunged, it is not necessary to divulge it to a potential employer. An expungement, otherwise known as an expunction, is the process by which a criminal conviction is sealed by a court in your criminal record.
The ability to expunge a misdemeanor depends on the severity and the state or county in which the misdemeanor or conviction took place. However, an expunged record can be accessed by a governmental agency, such as law enforcement, if it is deemed legally necessary, as in the case of a criminal investigation of a crime committed after expungement. It is important that you disclose any misdemeanor convictions during the employment screening process that have not been expunged.
Law enforcement is an essential part of our society. Police officers work hard to preserve peace and safety among their fellow citizens. Because they play such a crucial role, only the safest, most trustworthy individuals should be able to join the police force. To help ensure this, police agencies follow a strict and thorough background check process for every new officer they hire. A criminal history check is one of the cornerstones of the police background screening process.
This is a fairly straightforward part of the process. A guilty plea to a felony will also greatly reduce the chances of becoming a police officer. In general, misdemeanors are less severe than felonies, but there are a few serious misdemeanors that will keep a candidate off the force.
However, crimes such as driving under the influence, assault, and perjury may disqualify a candidate. Even the most qualified police officers make mistakes, and many crimes go unpunished. If a candidate has committed a crime but never faced arrest or conviction because of it, that information can still come up in a police background check. Agencies often take undetected or unreported crimes as seriously as actual convictions. This is another way for a police agency to ensure that they are hiring safe, responsible, and law-abiding citizens to be on their force.
While most violent crimes will keep a candidate from law enforcement, convictions of domestic violence are in a realm of their own.
Law enforcement jobs carry with them a great deal of responsibility. As a result, police departments establish high standards for those who wish to apply for a job in law enforcement.
Although some departments may be willing to hire individuals who have misdemeanor convictions, applicants should prepare for a challenging process.
In many instances, serious convictions, such as those involving violence, fraud, and sexual abuse are permanent bars to being hired as a police officer. In law, crimes are categorized by the severity of the criminal incident, as well as the severity of a potential sentence for those found guilty. In addition to minor infractions such as jaywalking or littering, an offense may be classified as a misdemeanor or a felony:. Law enforcement agencies operate independently and can set their own hiring requirements.
All police and sheriff departments have restrictions on hiring people with criminal backgrounds: Felons cannot be hired, but applicants with some types of misdemeanors in their backgrounds may be eligible for law enforcement work.
However, departments typically have a list of offenses that will result in the automatic rejection of an application. Minneapolis, Minnesota: The police department in Minneapolis rejects applications from anyone with a felony or gross misdemeanor on their record.
0コメント