A
female
age
30-35,
anonymous
writes:I don't know if a question like this is allowed here, Ever since I was young I have wanted a career in the police force, I applied and then they gave me an interview, I had to answer scenario questions and my skills etc, I have recently been informed that I passed this stage of the application, now I need to attend assessment day to do a fitness test and a written test. They also want to do a back ground check on me and other family members, none of my family have criminal records but they have had a brush with the law (my father) got a caution and was called back for a police interview which was nearly 10 years ago, and he has since also had a few arrests which he has been put in the cell for the night for being drunk and disorderly but no further action was ever taken on any of the arrests, and he's never been to court etc ,I'm just worried these things may spoil my chances to do my dream job, I'm worried they will reject me because of this, a lot of people have told me there is no way they will recruit me after doing the back ground checks. Just wanted advice if any of you that have ever applied or know someone who has applied and been rejected because of incidents like my dad.
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female
reader, CindyCares  +, writes (22 August 2016):
 Thank you, male anon . Actually, I checked with my son, he is the expert :)
About 18 months ago ( pre Brexit ) he was considering moving to UK, and he was also looking, among a few options, into joining the UK police, as it is that rare decent, and reasonably paid , job, which does not require LOCAL academical qualifications. As a matter of fact, it does not require ANY specific ,formal academical qualifications ! How strange.
So my son dug out infos and lit about eligibility criteria and stuff. He changed his mind about police work , but the infos are still current. ( He did not totally change his mind about moving to UK some day , but, by now , Theresa May does not want him any more...(:
A
male
reader, anonymous, writes (21 August 2016): CindyCares I rated your answers the best
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A
male
reader, anonymous, writes (21 August 2016): Thank you for the clarification cindycares. Clearly you are well informed on police recruitments.
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A
female
reader, CindyCares +, writes (20 August 2016):
Male anon : so , do you think that the background will be just personal , about the applicant ?
Sorry, that's incorrect. They'll turn inside out like a sock all the family . Police recruitment is regulated by something called NPIA ( National Policing Improvement Agency ) which issued official guidelines to make sure the recruitment process is consistent, transparent and conform to Equality Act 2010 - guidelines which prescribe MANDATORY thorough background checks " to abscertain if anything is known to the detriment of the applicant, his / her spouse or partner, or close relatives such as parents , in- laws, siblings or others residing or associating with the applicant ".
The use they make of these findings is discretionary ( meaning, yes, they would not turn down an applicant just because it turns out that his gf was caught pinching a 50p p lipstick from the drugstore years ago ) but the background checks are obligatory .
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A
female
reader, CindyCares +, writes (20 August 2016):
Yes it could. It depends from the specic police force you apply, and ... how many applications they have atm.
If it were you, you would be already disqualified because they want you clean , ( at least in the last 5 years ) not only from convictions ( including motoring offences ! ) but also from any caution / arrest made for public disturbance.
When it's not you , you are required to tell the police as much information you know about your family members. (... not that they are not going to make a thorough background check anyway ).The police requests this information to insure that there is no undue influence brought to bear on you or the poluce service, whether family or otherwise.
In short : you need to come clean anyway, then it's up to them . Obviously their ideal applicant 's family has an immaculate record with no brush with the law whatsoever in the last decades. But if you performed excellently in the written tests, or have shown special physical / psychological attitude for police work, ...or, more simply, if it a slow period in recruiting and they don't have too many good candidates, they could take you nonetheless.
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A
male
reader, anonymous, writes (20 August 2016): I think the background check will be about your personal background and not your fathers or brothers'.
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A
female
reader, Tisha-1  +, writes (20 August 2016):
 If the police recruitment teams could only hire people whose entire families had no brushes with the law ever, it would be a very small police force.
I agree with honey pie, just talk frankly with your recruiter.
Either you'll be hired or not.
Good for you for chasing your dreams. Now don't allow negative thoughts to derail your life plans.
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A
female
reader, anonymous, writes (19 August 2016): I don't believe I am based in the UK that your father brush with the law if it's still there will have any baring on your application .. I would be upfront when asked about personal history though and they may ask how you would respins if faced with a family member and doing some bing against the law .. your answer no matter what is your there to uphold the law and
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A
female
reader, Honeypie +, writes (19 August 2016):
 No one is perfect. No one comes from a perfect family.
My advice? DO your best, BE your best. And always BE honest.
I think in fact that you PERSONAL experience seeing the action (your dad getting drunk and disorderly) and the consequence (spending the night in the drunk tank) HELP you as a police officer, because you will UNDERSTAND both sides of the issue.
I don't think you dad's "brush" with the law can prevent you from achieving your goal. And I don't think you should LET it stop you.
Don't doubt yourself. The job you are working towards is based on YOUR merit, not that of your family.
Now of course that is MY personal opinion, I don't know the recruitment rules for the police in the UK, so MAYBE you need to consider talking to your recruitment officer? Or just keep going and see what happens.
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