TexasCHLforum.com

WildBill wrote:

Hoi Polloi wrote:If you're eligible for the license, there's most likely an agency out there that will hire you.

With the exception of the statement quoted above, I agree that Hoi Polloi's advice is basically sound for young people considering any career choice. Being "eligible" is only the first of many steps required to become a peace officer. My comments apply to any profession, not just those which require a TCLEOSE certificate.

Just because someone meets the minimum eligibility requirements to apply to a program doesn't guarantee that he or she will be able to successfully complete the program or obtain employment in their chosen field. A prime example is the thousands of people across the country who have taken the LSAT [law school admission test], were accepted and graduated from law school but never passed their state bar exam. They may have a law degree, but they are not lawyers. A person with a TCLEOSE certificate who is not employeed at a qualifying agency is not an LEO.

Every person needs to examine their own desire, motivation, ability, strengths and weaknesses when deciding their career options.

I agree completely.

If you're eligible for the license, there's most likely an agency out there that will hire you. Have you looked at the websites for agencies in your area? Most have their eligibility requirements posted. For any competitive agency, I don't think your chances of being hired right now are very good even if you do put yourself through the academy.

You said you're living with your parents which means you most likely don't have responsibilities you can point to. You said you moved to CA for 6 months and are now back in TX which means you most likely don't have stability you can point to. Your spelling and grammar indicate that you don't have a strong educational background. You have drug charges in the last 10 years. Many 22-year-olds would probably fair about the same so this isn't anything remarkable, but it does mean you'd probably have to polish yourself up a bit before you would be hired by a moderate caliber agency.

I'm sure others would have other suggestions, but some I can think of are:
1) Have a formal rent agreement with your parents and be able to show how you pay them money each month to establish a record of responsibility.
2) Have a plan on how you can keep stability for the long term, making minimal changes which are clearly upward focused.
3) Make sure that you're debt-free and not living on credit.
4) Consider training in a related field so that you can work for a few years in close proximity with a police agency. Dispatching, firefighting, EMS, and similar professions will allow you to make money and polish yourself while working toward this goal.
5) Consider how you will explain your past life choices. The fact that they're there will not be nearly as concerning the more time goes between then and the present and the more you can take responsibility and enumerate how you've made intentional and mature choices in a long and visible pattern which indicate that you are not the same person any longer.

Police work is a noble profession and there are many police officers who were once on the wrong side of the law--far worse than a kid with tobacco and a personal stash of marijuana. I encourage you to make a plan and shoot for your goals!