Question regarding pre employment polygraph testing (LEO input prefered)

[Iraqgunz]

GLP,

You came here and asked for opinions and you got them. You see things one way (because it is favorable to you ) we see things different because we have no dog in the fight. I live in Arizona and have also researched many depts. in the Phoenix area. I have looked at many depts. info packets and they are pretty much uniform. Experimental drug use is one thing. What you did is not considered experimental.

As for the circumstances behind your arrest it doesn't matter. What does matter and is that when one looks at the totality of the situation there is a PATTERN. You may not see, others do.

Some people have been hard and some have offered advice. Guess what the world is hard. Better get used to it especially if you want to work in L.E.

Ive said it a few times in here, and a couple of you are too convinced just by reading my posts that Im going to lie on the polygraph, but thats not the case (as if anyone in here knows me). You dont believe me? Fine, thats your prerogative. No skin off my back. I just wanted to know if I stood a chance, or if someone can flat out tell me right here and now there is no way I will ever become a LEO. Ive had cops tell me in person at the dept that I want to work for, the same thing that a few of you have. They don't think the amount of times you have done it matters, as long as it wasnt recent, and there are people who have done much harder stuff and still become LEO's. Now tell me this. If I was planning on cheating a polygraph, would I really go into the PD im applying for and tell a Sgt there everything I just told you? Makes perfect sense. But then again thats just judging me without really knowing who I am. Seems to be a common theme in here today.

There is no definitive answer as to whether or not I can or cant ever become an LEO. Thats why I was in here to get a general answer from everyone (preferably Police Officers, who have gone through the hiring process and possibly have been in the same boat) whether or not they think I stand a chance. If yes, great, ill keep trying. I have some stuff to work on, but Im in no hurry. If not, then I want to know if Im wasting my time.

Point is, ZDL's first post was straight forward, to the point, and his honest opinion. A little harsh yes, but I can take it. After all, its the truth, right? His second post, and a couple others were getting too personal. No one in here knows me. No one knows where I have applied, who I have talked to, what I have done to prepare, what I know, what Ive read, where ive worked/what I do right now. Flat out, no one in here knows me from Adam. I wanted positive answers in here. I have no place for the kind of downgrading negativity that a couple of you are starting to spew. Twisting my words around to make me sound worse than I really am, and telling me that Im not as honest and law abiding as I think because Ive been arrested and gotten speeding tickets without knowing the circumstances behind my arrest is a little immature IMHO. If you want to know the circumstances, PM me. I have nothing to hide. Until then, try not to hold something so petty against me.

[Federale]

Ive said it a few times in here, and a couple of you are too convinced just by reading my posts that Im going to lie on the polygraph, but thats not the case (as if anyone in here knows me). You dont believe me? Fine, thats your prerogative. No skin off my back. I just wanted to know if I stood a chance, or if someone can flat out tell me right here and now there is no way I will ever become a LEO. Ive had cops tell me in person at the dept that I want to work for, the same thing that a few of you have. They don't think the amount of times you have done it matters, as long as it wasnt recent, and there are people who have done much harder stuff and still become LEO's. Now tell me this. If I was planning on cheating a polygraph, would I really go into the PD im applying for and tell a Sgt there everything I just told you? Makes perfect sense. But then again thats just judging me without really knowing who I am. Seems to be a common theme in here today.

There is no definitive answer as to whether or not I can or cant ever become an LEO. Thats why I was in here to get a general answer from everyone (preferably Police Officers, who have gone through the hiring process and possibly have been in the same boat) whether or not they think I stand a chance. If yes, great, ill keep trying. I have some stuff to work on, but Im in no hurry. If not, then I want to know if Im wasting my time.

Point is, ZDL's first post was straight forward, to the point, and his honest opinion. A little harsh yes, but I can take it. After all, its the truth, right? His second post, and a couple others were getting too personal. No one in here knows me. No one knows where I have applied, who I have talked to, what I have done to prepare, what I know, what Ive read, where ive worked/what I do right now. Flat out, no one in here knows me from Adam. I wanted positive answers in here. I have no place for the kind of downgrading negativity that a couple of you are starting to spew. Twisting my words around to make me sound worse than I really am, and telling me that Im not as honest and law abiding as I think because Ive been arrested and gotten speeding tickets without knowing the circumstances behind my arrest is a little immature IMHO. If you want to know the circumstances, PM me. I have nothing to hide. Until then, try not to hold something so petty against me. As for my arrest being taken off my record permanently, the charges were never filed because I went through a Juvenile Diversion Program under the stipulation that the charges would not be put through. Ive had a lot of background checks done and there is NO record of it whatsoever. I think its long gone because technically on paper it never even existed

Yep, nobody in here knows you. You're just a poster. Just like you'd be just an applicant for a LE job and they wouldn't know you either, would they?

You asked for the advice and opinion of LEOs especially. We're not prone to sugar coating our advice. I know I'm not. And I've seen plenty of terrific applicants not get jobs that they were otherwise qualified because they had smoked pot one more time than was forgiveable. Its just the way that it is. LE is a competitive profession and there's hundreds of men and women out there who have always wanted to be cops since they were 12 too, who have prepared, have read things and have also managed to not succumb to peer pressure or experimentation, and who haven't shown poor judgment and gotten themselves arrested and don't have a bunch of speeding tickets. And the people who are hiring can look at the pile of applications (where you are all just faceless applicants) and choose not to choose you. Why would they not choose you? Because you are 24 years old and have a recent history of heavy marijuana use, a juvenile arrest and a propensity for trying to minimize what you have done.

I'm sorry, but you asked.

[YutYut]

Another vote to go into the military. Put yourself on a path to where no one can question your desire to serve your community. It will help you mature and when you are called on your excessive marijuana usage, you can show a clean history for the past several years.

The first step is to get past the denial, you had a marijuana problem. Plain and simple. The question is also raised as to what your mental state or medical condition was at the time, that caused you to inhale copious amounts of a green and brown plantlike substance resembling marijuana.

The polygraph is the least of your worries. Try submitting references for your background. Mine included just about all of my living relatives. It will also want all your former employers. And all of your friends.

If anyone has ever been interviewed by a background investigator for a security clearance or LE/.gov job, they want to know the names of other people that know you. People that you conveniently forgot to leave off the reference forms because they might have dirt on you.

And they ask your references, "Do you know of him/her to abuse alcohol/illegal or prescripition drugs?"

What do you think your friends/former friends will say? Would a department want to gamble with a candidate like that?

[telecustom]

+1 for Military

[Bachelorjack]

Holy crap. You sound like a friend of mine who's name begins with a C. He lives out there and just went through this.

If you are C. for the record I never got to drive that Lotus that belonged to you know who's father.

I suspect you are not C.

Advice I can lend. If your poly goes anything other than swimmingly you will not get the job. They will say they detected some deceit in your answers and ask you to clarify why that might be. If you get to this point you are TOAST.

Be honest. You won't defeat a poly without training against feedback.

If honesty doesn't get you the job then it was never meant to be. Some mistakes in life end up costing us.....

[GLP Standard]

Holy crap. You sound like a friend of mine who's name begins with a C. He lives out there and just went through this.

If you are C. for the record I never got to drive that Lotus that belonged to you know who's father.

I suspect you are not C.

Advice I can lend. If your poly goes anything other than swimmingly you will not get the job. They will say they detected some deceit in your answers and ask you to clarify why that might be. If you get to this point you are TOAST.

Be honest. You won't defeat a poly without training against feedback.

If honesty doesn't get you the job then it was never meant to be. Some mistakes in life end up costing us.....

Is his name Chris? My name is Chris, but I don't know anyone that owns a Lotus.

Thanks everyone for your input, even the people that posted the less favorable responses. Ive weighed everything everyone has said, and though I put up a fuss about a few responses in here, I thought long and hard about them last night and I know where I stand and what I need to do. I wont bother posting in here again, because this thread has served its purpose, but if anyone wants to respond, ill check back and read everyones replies.

Thanks again.

[markm]

I would take the poly...

half way through..... spark up a fatty and just flat out deny any drug use ever.

You'll be in for sure!

[Dave L.]

As a knuckle dragger, I vote this thread be locked for having too many words in so few posts.
All in favor...

[markm]

All in favor...

I'll smoke to that!

[msstate56]

Chris- look for another career. From what I have heard you do not have what it takes to be in law enforcement. You are lying to yourself, even if you are being honest with the rest of us. Lots of people are tempted to do certain things in their younger days, and most who want to become a law enforcement officer choose to take a higher path (and not the higher path that you toke- excuse me took). You followed a path that went in the complete opposite direction from the integrity required for LE service. If you are worried about people being mean to you on an internet forum, you definately can't hack it in the real world. Even if you are hired, you won't last very long. People on the street will treat you like garbage, and sometimes your "brass" will treat you even worse. Several others on here have told it to you like it is. You wanted advice- this is mine- find another line of work, the ones of us who had to make sacrifices earlier in life to be here today will be better off.