The physical test ended up being rescheduled due to a bad storm, some flooding, and a power outage. Which was probably for the best, because it would have been a total waste of time, anyway, since the LAPD rejected me.
The way it works is that you get a letter in the mail. I didn’t expect it before the interview, I figured they would, at least, want to meet me, but no. They decided they didn’t want me without ever meeting me.
This was the letter I received:
They had concerns with my maturity and discipline, honesty, integrity, and personal ethics, and employment record. Ironic, since anyone who has met me knows that I’m too mature and disciplined for my own good, I can’t lie to save my life, I believe in integrity to a fault, my personal ethics are pretty damn strict, and my employment record is awesome.
The best part was in the third paragraph, where they told me I could appeal if I wanted to, but that they had no staff to deal with appeals. In other words, don’t let the door hit you on the way out.
Ouch.
One of the most ludicrous parts of the whole thing was that document I spent hours filling out, the one that was twenty-plus pages of my background info. I had to get contact information for everyone who had played some kind of role in my life in the last fifteen years: landlords, colleagues, friends, supervisors, etc.
I was curious which of these people they had contacted, and, in turn, which questions they had asked. After all, this was the information they used to reject me.
They hadn’t contacted anyone.
Which meant they either rejected me because of information they found on the Internet or they rejected me for not being an ethnic minority. Whichever it was, I was disappointed that they had rejected me without meeting me in person.
In the years that have passed since all this went down, I’ve come to several conclusions:
- Their loss.
- It’s for the best.
But occasionally I think about what might have been. Life is funny like that. There are so many paths we can choose, so many lives we can lead. And yet here we are, living this one.
No, they want men with big-time tempers who are good at overreacting in violent situations. You seem to be too level-headed to behave in such a manner. They probably also figured that you would alert someone to things like corruption and internal wrong-doing if you were hired. Can’t have someone honest like that on the LAPD now can we?
I personally am in the waiting game to hear back. I just completed the Background/Investigation part. I feel as tho i might be losing this battle but, i am strong enough to stay positive. Your story is legit. I like it.
Thank you! And good luck. And if if doesn’t work out, don’t take it personally. I am sure I was a better candidate than many others who got in — and to throw me away without an interview?! Who can say what’s driving their process? I hope you don’t have to wait long. Happy holidays!
🙂
Hey – interesting read (although I was a little disconcerted by your ‘ethnic minority’ comment).
I’m a middle-aged immigrant, currently teaching part-time in L.A. and going through the process. I got to my background interview sweaty (after running around the barren downtown landscape looking for somewhere to change a $20 for fives so I could park close to the LAPD building…) but on time. I felt very confident about the interview…until I saw that there was a stack of the 27 page questionnaires and mine was set out to one side – I could see my signature on the top page.
After the officer handed out all the questionnaires for people to add additional info and to add initials to each page, the officer called my name and asked me to come outside – outside being ten feet from where the twenty or so other candidates were sitting.
It turns out that foreign academic credentials don’t count. So I have to either give up or take an American GED equivalency test, which I shall do in the next couple of weeks.
On the other hand I now know exactly where to park, to make sure I have a $5 bill ready, to wear a suit and tie (it wasn’t clear on the info – I read business in one place and business-casual elsewhere).
Once again, thanks for your blog – it’s about the best article I’ve rad on the process and it’s written very well.
Wow, good luck! Let me know what happens next time. I had no idea that foreign academic credentials didn’t count. What a pain!
Good Job it takes a lot of courage to do what you did. As far as you being deny’d because you are an ethnic minority i respectfully disagree. I was a recruiter for the Marines btw 02 and 05. During this Duty i became aware of the acronym AWG. Average white Guy. An awg it seems are 10 a penny as the term goes what the powers that be want are minority personnel in uniform, specifically minority female college grads. Im am pretty sure the lapd is following this path
again no disrespect in any way.
hi, no disrepect taken! thanks for your thoughts and perspective. actually, my point was that i was rejected because i am not an ethnic minority. i have no clue, obviously, why i was rejected, but i couldn’t help but wonder if i would have had a better shot if i hadn’t been white. it just seemed strange to me that i would be rejected without even an interview.
I found this story interesting, I know it’s old. I’m a black woman and about to apply for LAPD. However I’m almost sure I’ll be rejected. Two years ago I accidentally ate a bite of a chocolate bar that I thought was normal – turned out to have pot in it and I went to the hospital. I’ve been rejected by one department already because they said this was “use of narcotics” the fact that it was involuntary didn’t matter. I’m expecting the same result from LAPD despite he fact that I have a college degree, no record, don’t drink or so drugs, pretty much I’m boring lol
it is really frustrating. I was disappointed that they rejected me without even an interview. I find their hiring standards a bit questionable.
A well written insight into police testing processes by someone who has been through it. Thank you for sharing.