TexasCHLforum.com

Any thoughts on my anxiety about applying for a civilian job at a police department. It's a very involved hiring process, that includes admitting to any "questionable" past behaviors or indiscretions. Except for a bit of shananigans (no run-ins with the law) in my younger years, I don't have much to be concerned about. But we are talking about every skeleton in the closet being revealed, password access to Facebook etc, having my husband and my family member's info looked into.. etc( complete with lie-detector test). This is where my tin-foil hat comes in. With the way our 2nd amendment rights are being gradually chipped away, I'm struggling with the overall concept of voluntarily incriminating myself to a government agency for fear of "any excuse" to strip away my freedoms down the line. Paranoid or logical?

IANAL, but I don't think they can ask you for your Facebook password (or any others). In fact, I believe there's at least one law somewhere in this country that would impose penalties for such things.

I thought that also. But I am assuming if I choose to decline answering that question, they will just toss my application out before even getting to the "meaty" stuff. I would think that law protects people from being fired for not revealing it after hiring you, but asking before hiring?

That's the impression I was under. I can't remember which state it was in though, or if it was federal. In any case, if you decide to play along with their game, be sure to change your password ASAP, then delete (don't just de-activate) your account because giving someone your password for any reason is in violation of the contract you "signed" with Facebook. Preferably all before they get a chance to log in and commit several felonies by fraudulently impersonating you on a computer network without a warrant or somesuchthing. Really, you're doing them a favor.

You should probably consult a lawyer, as I am not one.

Oh geesh don't you all know that you need TWO facebook accounts! On one you don't use your real name...that is the one you use to post all your drunken photos with all your "friends." The other you use to like kittens videos and friend your grandma! Same goes for twitter and instagram!

Or at least that is what my teenage daughter tells me!

That better be an awesome job, our dear leader didn't have that kind of scrutinization.

Wodathunkit wrote:That better be an awesome job, our dear leader didn't have that kind of scrutinization.

Just give them your passwords and then promptly change them.

Depending upon the level of trust the job has you may even have to open up your bank accounts so they can verify you are living within your means. Unfortunately the better the job the more intense the background check is. Just be honest and good luck!

brentski wrote:Depending upon the level of trust the job has you may even have to open up your bank accounts so they can verify you are living within your means. Unfortunately the better the job the more intense the background check is. Just be honest and good luck!

The job isn't that "good", but it does have a decent benefit package though. Thanks to Obamacare, being self-employed is no longer an option. The position, without getting into too many details, would require a very trustworthy individual, because of access to illegal substances, money etc, if you get my drift. So I do understand the scrutiny a potential applicant must go through. My biggest hesitation, is putting all of my dirty laundry out there, especially if I don't get the position, and then leaving a trail of "stuff". Cost/Risk analysis has my head spinning.

And no, our dear leader would not be able to get the job, you need to provide an actual birth certificate. hahaha.

Just remember all this scrutiny when we want to complain about some sorry LEO's unethical behavior. The departments moved to such stringent hiring scrutiny as a result of public expectations and scrutiny.

Being hired as an LEO or even admin staff is quite a feat in these days.

I hope you don't have a poly. I've taken and passed multiple ones, but it is a pain.

I currently have a Top Secret Security Clearance with access to Sensitive Compartmented Information, I had Full Scope (Lifestyle) Annex P polys, I must submit annual financial discourse statements (OGE 45o's) AND no one has ever asked for my Facebook account!

They never asked for mine either when I had a Top Secret clearance.........of course that was 40 years ago

gigag04 wrote:Just remember all this scrutiny when we want to complain about some sorry LEO's unethical behavior. The departments moved to such stringent hiring scrutiny as a result of public expectations and scrutiny.

Being hired as an LEO or even admin staff is quite a feat in these days.

I hope you don't have a poly. I've taken and passed multiple ones, but it is a pain.

When I initially started filling out the 17 page application, I was shocked and aggravated, until I started thinking about what you said above. And yes, I have to take a poly, which is really freaking me out. Trying to comb the contents of my life from the age of 17, and answering truthfully, is a practice in self torture in my opinion. I have a feeling I'll fail from the steady stream of sweat pouring down my forehead before they even finish strapping all the scary wires etc to my body. All I can picture is a scene out of Clockwork Orange. I wish they started with that test (i believe I was told it's one of the last things done in process).