if applying for law enforcement, bankruptcy bad?

[silturbo]

i am in the criminal justice/security networking field and i was wondering applying for law enforcement job is bankruptcy automatic grounds of disqualification?

thanks, road to recovery

[lrprn]

i am in the criminal justice/security networking field and i was wondering applying for law enforcement job is bankruptcy automatic grounds of disqualification?

thanks, road to recovery

Depends on the company, how they regard personal bankruptcy, and how long ago the bankruptcy was filed and closed.

It's against the law to not hire someone solely because they have filed bankruptcy. However, proving that was why you weren't hired is almost impossible. Being in criminal justice and security, chances are you may see more of an effect than someone in other fields will. However, you won't know what the impact of your bankruptcy will be until you apply and go through the interview and hiring process. As bankruptcy becomes more common and accepted, you can be surprised at who involved in hiring processes has experience with being on this side of the fence. All is not lost.

[silturbo]

thanks for your help =) merry xmas

Depends on the company, how they regard personal bankruptcy, and how long ago the bankruptcy was filed and closed.

It's against the law to not hire someone solely because they have filed bankruptcy. However, proving that was why you weren't hired is almost impossible. Being in criminal justice and security, chances are you may see more of an effect than someone in other fields will. However, you won't know what the impact of your bankruptcy will be until you apply and go through the interview and hiring process. As bankruptcy becomes more common and accepted, you can be surprised at who involved in hiring processes has experience with being on this side of the fence. All is not lost.

[bige1030]

Do you have a security clearance (for national security)? If so, you could lose it after filing, if you haven't yet for being so deep in debt.

If the law enforcement job you're applying to requires a security clearance, depending on your reason for filing, you may be denied a security clearance and be ineligible for some time. (If you were injured and couldn't pay your medical bills, that would be more in your favor than plain old being overwhelmed with debt.) But of course, time is the biggest healer, and responsibly handling your finances in the future will help time do its thing.

I'm not really sure about this field outside of the security clearance issue.

[CATCHMEIFYOUCAN]

Just my 2 cents:

A friend of mine was working for the TSA (Transportation Security Admin), they told him if he didn't file for BK because of his bad credit they would "release," him. Thats a BIG COMPANY ! Think I would rather hire someone with no deby (ie:BK) than a load of debt.

Catchmeifyoucan

[hansky]

It's against the law to not hire someone solely because they have filed bankruptcy.

It is a violation to terminate someone solely because of the filing of the petition. Not hiring a person for that reason is another matter.

[spongenotbob]

i am in the criminal justice/security networking field and i was wondering applying for law enforcement job is bankruptcy automatic grounds of disqualification?

thanks, road to recovery

I've heard (2nd/3rd-hand) that you're far less likely to get a security clearance with a lot of debt (i.e. $100K is a lot of debt) than with a BK - as long as you're totally clean after the BK.

They're looking for people who are vulnerable to being bribed, blackmailed, etc..

Best of luck,
spongenotbob

PS: Please verify this with someone actually in law enforcement / security. I am not !

[bige1030]

It is a violation to terminate someone solely because of the filing of the petition. Not hiring a person for that reason is another matter.

[Peevee]

Law enforcement is not a private employer and they do look at bankruptcy. I was all set to go full time in the police department when I filed chapter 13. They didn't hire me and told me that I didn't meet their qualifications. I got a high school buddy that works there and he later told me why.