How Is the Police Background Investigation Process?
Everyone who wishes to become a police officer in New York will need to undergo a police background investigation process. In fact, starting a job in law enforcement is a notoriously extensive process that requires any candidate to be of the highest quality because of the responsibilities that police officers carry. One of the most common disqualifiers from becoming a police officer in New York is the candidate failing a background check. If you are interested in becoming a police officer, you will need to understand how the police background investigation works so that you can take the challenge head-on from a disqualification appeal attorney.
What Will Disqualify You From Being a Police Officer in New York?
When agencies conduct their background checks, they look into much more than your criminal history. In fact, for many agencies, a background check involves speaking with family and friends to determine what kind of person they are taking into consideration. Agencies will commonly visit where you and your family live to investigate and even conduct interviews. If the investigator deems anything as inappropriate or a red flag, this will hurt the status of your application. This is one of the aspects of an investigation that goes into a psychological or character disqualification, which may require a character disqualification appeal or psychological disqualification appeal.
Law enforcement agencies will also typically look into your employment history to determine your work ethic and attitude towards employment. A detailed list of common disqualifiers is listed below:
- Felony convictions
- Serious misdemeanors
- Current or past drug abuse
- Bad credit history
- History of domestic violence
- Poor employment record
How Long Do Police Background Investigations Take?
Since police background checks are rather extensive, applicants could expect to wait two weeks to several months for agencies to finish their background checks.
Can You Work in Law Enforcement With a Misdemeanor?
Applicants who have a misdemeanor conviction are encouraged to admit that they have one rather than hoping that it slips through the cracks. It is much better to admit a minor misdemeanor than having one appear on a background check. However, if you are convicted of domestic violence, you will not be able to become a police officer. If you find yourself disqualified because of a misdemeanor after applying for the NYPD, it might be best to partner with an NYPD disqualification appeal lawyer.
About Disqualification Appeals
Disqualification Appeals is a legal office in New York headed by a police disqualification attorney that assists people who are applying for positions in New York law enforcement to fight their disqualification. Contact us to learn more about our psychological, character, or medical disqualification appeal today.