Hey all. Any Leo in NC that can guide me in the right direction?
Obviously as the title indicates, I was at one time a stupid, careless and reckless young man and I'm not proud of it at all.
I've been sober for a good while now and have kept my nose clean. With my experience in the Marine Corps, and studying for a CJ bachelor's, what are my odds of getting hired in NC, or maybe elsewhere?
The State Trooper recruiter said maybe 2026 or 2027 since I was convicted in 2023, however I'd like some input from folks who've been around..
How competitive are the job fields? My aim is to put time and accomplishments as a buffer from my reckless and irresponsible past.
Thanks in advance.
The hiring process is pretty competitive, and you're going to want 5 years between you and the DWI before you have a good chance. There will be some departments that will require that much time.
Are you employed now? Best thing you can do is stay employed, keep staying out of trouble, and apply when the recruiter told you to. Sounds like you’re staying on the up and up and that’s awesome, stick with it and throw your name in the bucket in 2027 to be safe.
I'm employed. Been with the company a few years and I really have no anticipation to move on to anything else.
Definitely proud of the man I have become. I always knew the road I was headed down wasn't for me
I’m proud of you man. Working in a jail I’ve seen a lot of guys go down dark paths, so it’s great to see someone turn their life around like this. Best of luck.
Define other morality issues.
Car related. Burn outs, excessive speeding, small property damage. Stupid stuff. Brandished a firearm one time when someone tried to run me off the road, but from a personal view point I was defending myself from getting sent into a building or ditch.
Stuff that I did when I was younger that I really hate to admit I even did
A lot of the other stuff you could probably overcome but paired with a brandishing a firearm incident, its going to be almost an impossible battle... you will definitely need the time and distance from those past events like the recruiter mentioned, even then its pretty unlikely.
As others have mentioned you probably want/need at least 5 years between your DUI and the time you apply.
I just wanted to say congratulations and keep on the straight and narrow. You seem to be on that path already so just keep doing what you are and you’ll get the break you deserve. No one is perfect and we all have made mistakes in the past. Some of us, myself included, managed to avoid getting caught. That kind of humility will only help you become a better cop.
They say the best cops are the ones who have been around the block a few times. After being a cop for 28+ years I can say that is absolutely true.
Good luck and be well.
Is there a certain period of time before a department considers a DUI irrelevant?
I would bet not. It’s a statement of character.
Very competitive, most places are looking for at LEAST five years. I'm not going to sugar coat it, you're going to be fighting an uphill battle. You will be competing with people who dont have DWI or "other morality issues" (whatever that means).
I'm not saying it's impossible, but it will be harder for you to get on somewhere with something like that in your past, that's just how it is. Keep your nose clean, build up a good solid work history (also, volunteer, get involved with your community, show that you're a really solid candidate)
I got hired with an 8 year old DUI in my past when the market was super competitive, now I specialize in DUI investigations LMAO anything is possible.
That would be strange lol. Wake Co. Publishes all mugshots on their website. So it would be super weird arresting someone who you know will go home and look up your name later on haha.
The guy who arrested me went as far as calling the Marine Corps headquarters because I didn't want to do a field sobriety test.
So refusing to do sobriety tests is a big deal in every state. Where I work, if you refuse, you can still get your license suspended even if the actual DUI charges are dismissed.
Yeah this has been years ago however.
Do defense attorneys ever bring up your past conviction?
No, it’s irrelevant. If anything my past as a drunken bartender would likely solidify my case via experience and familiarity.
I'm sure if I were hired on they'd probably do something to remove my name and mug off of the website for protective measures. I'm sure an attorney would have a field day with that
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So technically I could apply? Or are you using AI from Google to answer the question?
I'm probably not going to even think about applying until maybe 2027 or 2028 if I'm being frank. I'd like to get a nice pick up truck, maybe a house, ect.