Your criminal history can play a big part in whether or not you get a law enforcement officer job. Your criminal history can be considered different from you criminal record. Your criminal record is what crimes you have been charged with by law enforcement. It contains charges and dispositions. Your criminal record is part of your criminal history. Your criminal history includes all crimes you've committed regardless of whether or not you were charged with committing them.
On applications or background
questionnaires, agencies looking to fill police officer jobs or other
law enforcement jobs require you to report any crimes that you have been
charged with to include traffic offenses. They also ask you if you have
committed any other crimes that you were not charged with.
This would include theft, drug use, assault, etc. If you fail to report
something, and the background investigator finds out, you will almost
certainly not get the job. If you fail to report something negative, it will be assumed that you have intentionally omitted the information. Even if you actually forgot to list something, it will be assumed that you left it out on purpose because applicants do so a lot, and law enforcement officials know this. And, either way, you either left it out intentionally or you don't have a good memory or you aren't detail oriented. Having a good memory and being detail oriented can be important. Honesty and integrity are extremely important
traits for police officers and those looking for police jobs. Remember
that no one is perfect. Just because you made a bad decision or two in
your past doesn't necessarily mean that you will be deemed unsuitable
for police jobs or other law enforcement jobs. Be honest when filling out applications and background questionnaires. A thorough background
investigation will include checking with the Federal Bureau of
Investigation records and court and police department records in every
jurisdiction where you have lived, worked, or went to school. Many applicants think that during a background investigation, investigators will only speak with the references they've listed. This is not true. Investigators will interview developed references. Developed references are basically references obtained from the references you listed on your application or background paperwork. During a good background investigation, the investigator could interview family members, friends, neighbors, classmates, coworkers and supervisors, landlords, and other people that know or knew you.