joining the police

[army_lad]

I am in the armed forces, and have been for the last 2 years..As i dont like it i would like to join the police force.Maybe something like armed police, but i have a criminal record from about 5 years ago. One is criminal damage on a video camera and the other a burglary.I got a fine for the first crime and community service for the other.. Is their any point on applyin as i think this would be a good career move.
Regards Darren

[lady_p_gold]

If you are completely honest and open from the start and have a good record in the Army then there is no harm in applying. They can only say no. Maybe it might be an idea to give the recruitment line a call and ask them. I would say go for it, after all you have risked your life for your country, or could have.

[jake-the-peg]

It seems that the policy on recruiting people with criminal records varies slightly from force to force.

http://www.policecouldyou.co.uk/officers/eligi ble.html
although you may still be eligible to join the police service if you have minor convictions/cautions, there are certain offences and conditions that will make you ineligible. If you are at all unsure, contact your chosen force for more information.

You'd have to check but I suspect that a conviction for burglary might be a problem.

You can imagine the headlines "Police recruit burglars", "Cops and Robbers" etc.

[dinger128]

Ouch...Burglary? Doesn't look good, especially with the governments current Neighbourhood Policing policy.

Saying that, are you sure the Police is for you if you find the Army bad enough? You'll be doing normal Police work for 5 - 7 years before firearms with even take your application seriously. I've known a few Para's who dropped out of the Police because it wasn't for them (mainly due to the paperwork).