Friend was denied LEO job because of too many guns...

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When you apply for a law enforcement or government position they almost never tell you why you were rejected. At least 50 percent of applicants who make it to the polygraph and personal interview stages are disqualified. If they disqualified someone because they seemed immature regarding use of force, they would never say that was why. People feel embarassed because they told all their friends and family that they were going to be a cop, so they come up with a justification for why it wasn't their fault they were rejected. I could be totally wrong but that's my experience.
 
What are they doing turning down someone who is gun-competent?
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Each department has its political 'personality' that starts at the head and trickles down through the command staff. If a department doesn't like guns, it will be wary of an applicant who seems very competent and into guns. If nothing else, they don't like a new guy who excels at something when they can't.

No department in this politically correct world likes to confess to the public that they specialize in gunfighting. They would rather boast that they are community oriented, sensitive to the needs of the public, and dedicated to equal opportunity.

I suggest the applicant try elsewhere and play down his interest in firearms and shooting.

Pilgrim
 
My understanding is that most PD's are so swamped with applicants that they'd rather play it safe even if it means weeding out some good guys. The polygraph seems to be sketchy science at best but look how many use them.
 
LA City is so huge, individual departments do not do the hiring process. It is handled through the City Personnel Dept.
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During my interview there was a sworn officer and City Personnel doing the interview. And it was the City Personnel that made the comment to me regarding my firearms: "Are you like RAMBO?"

I gave him a weird look and swayed away from answering to a more professional tone. I ended up being accepted to the academy anyways.

As for my friend, I'd have to dig more to find out the real issue.
 
Anyone too obsessed with firearms and with a CCW raises the eyebrow of a background investigator. The applicant appears "too eager" to have a gun and therefore "too eager" to use it. The applicant may appear to be a "hot dog" who may get the agency sued.
 
Something like:

Lieutenant - Your new partner is coming out of Personnel.
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Actually, it was more like. . .

"Callahan, I'm assigning you to Personnel--

"Personnel?! That's for *******s.

"*I* was in Personnel for ten years!"

"Yeah."


Anyone too obsessed with firearms and with a CCW raises the eyebrow of a background investigator. The applicant appears "too eager" to have a gun and therefore "too eager" to use it. The applicant may appear to be a "hot dog" who may get the agency sued.
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Man, times have changed and by-God for the worst.

I remember when background investigators simply gathered facts and let the interviewing/hiring agents draw their own conclusions. . .

Jeff
 
Tell him to apply to another agency.
LAPD and LASD have always been very anti-gun.

The CHP is hiring at the moment. It's one of the highest paying LE agencies in CA (starting around $61-70,000 depending on education/experience) and has one of the best academies in CA.
 
Some police depts can be really weird in who they accept. For instance a few years back the Providence, RI dept turned down a guy because he was too intelligent. The chief said he would end up being bored and quit in the end. Consequently it would be a waste of money to hire and train him. There was a heck of a row about it, but I'm not sure how it all turned out.
 
Some police depts can be really weird in who they accept.
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Many small towns will only hire someone with clout, even though it is usually illegal, they find ways to enforce their will. Some smaller agencies around here will only hire people who already went to the academy because they won't have to pay for it. The sheriff's department loses guys every year to smaller agencies that pay better, after they go to the expense of training them.
 
Sounds like a BS excuse for not hiring. Most likely it was something else, anything from race to sexual preference to just plain honry hiring manager can disqualify an applicant. Its sad but true, and its not just for LEOs. Any job anywhere can not hire an applicant for any reason, however they have to write up something for the disqualification that wont get them sued (ie sexual preference would get them sued as an example).

If your friend has it in writing, I'd say sue the dept. They have no right to disqualify someone based on firearms proficiency. My 2c
 
This story does seem a bit odd. Most of the LEO's I know have guns, some of them have LOTS of guns. :scrutiny:
 
Go Federal.

Border Patrol is actively recruiting, but there's also Postal Inspectors, IRS Enforcement, FBI, DEA, ATF (gag!), Secret Service, Customs, ICE, Coast Guard, etc.

From what I've read, federal benefits are pretty sweet.

He can also consider the military, and possibly OCS depending on his schooling and background.
 
I think the real deal is that the department wants brand spanking new recruits that have no knowledge of gun handling. So they can mold them to what them want them to be.
 
Police/LEO employment websites...

If you or any other members want to see new US law enforcement job openings or learn more about LE hires/background checks/training go here;

www.usajobs.opm.gov www.fletc.gov www.aslet.org www.officer.com www.lawenforcementjobs.com

I agree with the post about applying for a large agency, work there for 4-6 yrs then go to a smaller but higher paying/less crime/better community route.

I put in for a good county PD where I lived in the early 90s. I would have about 15 yrs on the job by now and would be a SGT or LT. :mad: I remember some old battle ax female police LT asking me if I'd shoot to wound or shoot to kill. I said I'd follow department policy. She then said in a smug way; " I thought the Army teaches you to shoot to wound."
Rusty

Rusty
 
LAPD and the LA County Sheriff's department
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There's the problem right there. He's better off in the end and should apply somewhere else. Up here in AK the departments are hungry for new recruits and nobody is going to hassle him about owning firearms or having a CCW permit.
 
Wounded soldiers have a habit of shooting back.
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For instance WWII Pacific hero Roger Young, after whom the troopship in the Robert Heinlein book (and egregiously bad movie) "Starship Troopers" is named. He was terribly wounded by Japanese fire, only to kill a LOT of Japanese before finally being killed by a 6.5mm light machinegun fired pointblank into his face.
 
Thanks Q!

I agree!

I also take issue with the way many US law enforcement agencies unfairly ask applicants or test police applicants about policy issues or tactics. If you are not a member of the PD or agency and did not take any of the training, then how are you going to answer the questions?

I've seen LE "interviews" where these methods were used and I don't think it's fair.

I recall the young Asian LAPD officer at my testing saying how the LAPD was required to stop those types of questions.

Rusty
 
I think the real deal is that the department wants brand spanking new recruits that have no knowledge of gun handling. So they can mold them to what them want them to be.
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Interesting idea, but that would pretty much ace out ANYONE who was prior military don't ya think?
 
Well you see they were trained by the government so they are able to handle that responsibility. Anyone else is just a bitter nut who clings to his guns.
 
Unless it's in print, we don't know why he was rejected/disqualified.

It could be for any number of reasons -not necessarily gun related.

The friend may be trying to save face.
 
There was a time when the Federal agencies didn't want to hire people with law enforcement background. Hoover considered the FBI to be elite and didn't want them to have learned how to do things the "wrong" way from local departments. Also it was a lot easier to teach someone arrest procedures than accounting. But those days are long over. It's almost impossible to be hired by the major federal agencies today unless you have previous law enforcement experience or something unique like a Masters degree or you speak a foreign language. If 50,000 people apply for 1,000 jobs they can demand advanced degrees, law enforcement experience, foreign language proficiency, etc.
 
Actually, when I got interviewed for a PD reserved position they require you to list the firearms you own-with serial numbers.
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I wonder what their response would be when I asked for a few additional sheets of paper to complete the list (I would walk out on any interview that asked for the serial numbers of my firearms, excepting the ATF and my NFA firearms).
 
ever think it might be an ass covering move?


They might want to know just in case they have a "drop gun"

I know all cops are good cops and they would never break the law...
 
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