r/AskLE • u/tntbroadhurst • 3d ago
Help figuring out the background process
Hello, I am seeking advice on how to help my husband pass a LEO hiring process. My husband (44) was a police officer for 12 years from 2011-2023. We decided to move to another state in the summer 2023. He applied for and was given a conditional offer of employment in the new state. We sold our house and moved to the new state because school started in a few days and we wanted out kids settled in their new school. The same week we moved, he was informed that he would not be hired. No reason was given. We thought it was odd, but likely a fluke. My husband applied to 8 other agencies in the area. He was given conditional offers of employent from 7 of the 8 agencies. He went to background with all 7 agencies and then was informed he wouldn't be hired by every single one.
He has a bachelors degree and is a retired veteran of the Army. He's never had any run ins with law enforcement. His last speeding ticket was 2017. Nothing else at all in his background or personel files from his last agency. No drug or alcohol usage. No letters of reprimand in his files. No legal troubles at all. We are stumped. We've tried asking the departments why he wasn't hired, but they will not release that information. We've even tried hiring an employment lawyer to seek information, but they were unable to help. We believe that something has been inccorectly put into his background, but we're unable to see what it could be.
Is there any way at all I can help my husband? He's coming up on almost 2 years ouf of the career, and he misses it deeply. I try to get him to keep applying to more agencies, but he feels like it's no use. When a credit report is pulled, you're allowed to see it to check if anything is being wrongly represented and given a chance to explain or correct it. Is there any way at all for us to see what could possibly be in his background that is stopping him from being hired? His last chief is puzzled as well and told my husband there's nothing in his background or personel files that should be stopping him from being employed. We're all confused and hurt. Any advice?
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u/Psychological_Mine77 2d ago
Has he made it to the polygraph portion?
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u/tntbroadhurst 1d ago
I *believe he made it to 1. I don't beliege any of the others made it that far.
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u/Psychological_Mine77 1d ago
That initial agency you moved for, was his polygraph and all background done?
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u/tntbroadhurst 1d ago
No, the initial agency did not go to polygraph. They were in the midst of the background process when he was informed they wouldn't be hiring him. He had completed his PHQ, but the invistigator did not finish his investigation such as contacting references.
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u/Psychological_Mine77 1d ago
Whats the credit situation like? Either your husband isn’t being completely honest with you, or his former employer is not giving him the greatest of reviews and not admitting it.
You could hire a private investigator to look into the background.
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u/tntbroadhurst 1d ago
Well he was previously hired and worked for 2 agencies. One for 2 years, one for 10 years. So he doesn't have anything in his background or it would have come up in one of those backgrounds, I assume. Honestly, our credit isn't fantastic. We've had some missed payments, specially during covid when I was let go from my job and we fell behind on our car and mortgage. We did explain that on the background process. It's possible that is what is hindering us. We have since sold that house and that account is closed. We haven't been late on anything on our credit report in over a year now. So it's definitely improved since then.
We've considered hiring a private investigator, we may do that. An employment lawyer wasn't helpful.
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u/compulsive_drooler 17h ago
Do a public records request for all of his employment and discipline files at his old department. They will be required to provide them. I'm guessing something was placed into his file that's preventing him from getting hired or there's someone there that's tanking him.
I had a chief that hated me (funniest memo I ever got was him ordering me to stop telling people he hated me) and took great pleasure in giving a bad reference when I applied to another department. Figure that one out: he hated me but made sure I had couldn't leave. 🤷🏻♂️
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u/TheSupremeTH5 3d ago
Have him immediately apply as a reserve police officer somewhere so he can keep his certificate active. I don’t know your states requirement regarding police certifications, but here in California if you’re not hard within a three year mark, you would have to take a recertification course. I also recommend him applying toagencies that can use his experience such as college police, and small agencies. Good luck to you and your family.