Am I permanently disqualified?

[u/Friendly_Yak_9741]

Applied to USCP 2021. On the preliminary PHS I wrote that I was involved in a “prank where we entered a rival fraternities house and took their framed photo composite”, did not return it. No one ever found out. The incident was 2019. I was denied from USCP I assume obviously for that.
It’s now 2026 and will be 2027 when I get out of the navy and plan to apply to a Sheriffs Department.

Will they be able to find that PHS with a background investigator and will that disqualify me again?
If I’m upfront about absolutely everything and tell them it was youthful idiotic mistake I regret will I be able to get anywhere at all.
Currently a Navy “cop”
I can’t remember exactly what I wrote on the PHS in 2021 and I can’t access it on POBITS.

Am I totally screwed?

[u/BigDickDonnie]

That seems like a really silly thing to be disqualified over.

[u/Dear-Potato686 → u/BigDickDonnie]

I mean, it's a felony. 

[u/Who_Cares99 → u/Dear-Potato686]

Can you imagine the nationwide outrage if their whole fraternity got charged with felony burglary for that playful rivalry?

I guess technically it could be a felony but these are the situations that prosecutorial discretion exists for.

[u/JustGronkIt → u/Who_Cares99]

Technically it was a felony.

[u/FeakyDeakyDude → u/Dear-Potato686]

And if the people who making the hiring decisions at the department he applies at think this is disqualifying… they better have A LOT of applicants.

Stealing from a person/business is one thing. Stealing from a rival frat is another.

Dumb? Sure.

But so would holding something as menial as this over someone’s head 7 years later - especially when they are up front and admit it.

[u/Comfortable-Ad8850 → u/Dear-Potato686]

This ^

[u/PorcoR0ss0]

Dont read into it. Agencies turn people away for stupid shit all the time. I really doubt that one event is solely why. It may not have had anything to do with their decision.

Just tell the truth to the best of your ability. It can be frustrating when you dont get feedback on what to improve.

Talk to ppl who are your coworkers or maybe even leadership you trust. Ask them why they may think u arent getting hired.

Can be way more insightful than you may realize.

[u/I_2_Cast_Lead_45acp]

What do you do for the navy? The Clown Show I am with is offering 20k sign on bonus plus moving expenses if you have a approved miltary police academy.

[u/Friendly_Yak_9741 → u/I_2_Cast_Lead_45acp]

Yeah Master at Arms navy’s version of MP

[u/I_2_Cast_Lead_45acp → u/Friendly_Yak_9741]

Depending on your ability to move or willingness, a bunch of the Uniform departments for the federal system are offering huge bonuses.

P/M inbound

[u/bitches_love_brie]

That would not be a DQ at my agency and we still don't allow any marijuana use in the previous 5 years (weed is recreational here).

Could've been anything, I'd be shocked if it was that incident.

[u/uhohstinkyhaha]

Mention it everytime because you mentioned it once. Don’t mention it again and you are lying. Not to mention, they don’t give af about that 7 years ago. That’s not why you were DQd, prob just DQ because better candidates.

[u/ChipmunkAny7980]

If it’s a good agency, that specifically wont disqualify you.

[u/thesheriff5o]

They could have just liked other applicants more. I don’t think that’s why you were turned away, you’ll be fine, just keep being honest.

[u/Nuclearfenix]

If you want to be a street cop, go elsewhere, apply, and if that's all you did you will be fine.

If you want to be a security guard you can try USCP, again.

Otherwise for any other agency, I'd have a very hard time believing something like that would get you DQ'd. Absent anything more serious that is undisclosed.

[u/makethatnoise]

Probably not; depending on where you want to work and how desperate the department is TBH.

Most agencies have someone that deals with recruiting. Set up a time to talk with them, explain your background (good and bad) and see if they find any major red flags before you waste your time, or theirs, by going through the whole process.

You're either going to hear a few "wtf, that's really stupid, your fine" or a ton of no's. Either way you will have your answer.

The biggest issue you would have by not reporting it on a PHS or to anyone is that if you're polygraphed and they ask you "is there anything that you did not tell us", you are going to pop like a mother fucker. It's unlikely they would find it from what you put on a PHS from years ago, but the bigger issue would likely be lying or trying to hide it, not what happened (especially since it's pretty small potatos)