confused, please don't get mad

[cedriczzz]

i tried to search with no luck

when filling out the cadet arrest and citation questionnaire im confused on the fix it and speeding tickets, im going to list all of them but under say speeding tickets and fix it tickets, do you file them as guilty or dismissed? or just leave the next field blank...im really confused, if someone can find a good thread on filling this form out with detailed info i'd be really happy, but i did try. thanks!

[HIPCHIP]

I have no idea what the forms are like now, but I would talk to your recruiter if you talked to one, or a background investigator if you have one.

If it was for speeding and you paid it, then you were guilty. If you contested it and the judge dismissed it, then it's dismissed.

Same for a fix-it ticket I would assume, if it was valid, then you would be guilty as it was a violation at the time. If you contested it and the judge or court dismissed it, then it would be dismissed. If you corrected a valid violation, then I would say you were guilty and now it's corrected. Dismissed would be, I believe, that you contested it and the judge dismissed it.

This is only a guess on my part just in case you can't get a hold of a recruiter of background investigator. Your driving record is on file with DMV and I would assume that running it would be part of your background investigation.

[snowdog]

i tried to search with no luck

when filling out the cadet arrest and citation questionnaire im confused on the fix it and speeding tickets, im going to list all of them but under say speeding tickets and fix it tickets, do you file them as guilty or dismissed? or just leave the next field blank...im really confused, if someone can find a good thread on filling this form out with detailed info i'd be really happy, but i did try. thanks!
I'm not sure if this question has been directly asked and answered in the past but I am impressed that it is simple and direct. I wish all the questions were this well written.
I believe you are referring to the column that asks for the final disposition. The response would be either "''guilty" whether you contested the citation and lost or simply paid the fine, "not guilty" if you took it to trial and found not guilty, "dismissed" if the charges were dropped for any number of reasons including the Officer failing to appear in court, or "violation corrected and signed off" if it were only a mechanical violation and you had it signed off.
N/A would not be appropriate because that does not answer the question of the final disposition.
I hope this offers some clarity.
Good Luck

[Wife*Of*NZ]

Should one try to contact their background investigator if they put "dismissed" for traffic citations that resulted in a fine and traffic school, or will there be an opportunity to correct the mistake in his initial interview? It is my understanding from snowdog's answer that my hubby should have listed "guilty" for a couple of speeding tickets and I know he did not.

Also, I just remembered that more than 6 years ago, when I was very young and pregnant with no health insurance I had applied for Medi Cal. I had no real idea what I was doing except that my then boyfriend (now husband, and the applicant) and I had no insurance, no money and a baby on the way. When you apply for Medi Cal and are un-married they automatically issue some sort of complaint against the baby's father for child support. I think by the time the paperwork was processed for Medi Cal we had gotten insurance through the company he worked for and I never even received any sort of benefit from Medi Cal. We always lived together, he always supported all of us, but the complaint was issued. He never heard anything more about it and and I didn't even remember it until today.

I apologize for all the details, my question is along the lines of what I mentioned before....should he try to contact someone or will he be able to add it once the background investigator contacts him (his PHS is in, QAP passed, and conditional offer letter sent)

Thanks!

[HIPCHIP]

Should one try to contact their background investigator if they put "dismissed" for traffic citations that resulted in a fine and traffic school, or will there be an opportunity to correct the mistake in his initial interview? It is my understanding from snowdog's answer that my hubby should have listed "guilty" for a couple of speeding tickets and I know he did not.

Also, I just remembered that more than 6 years ago, when I was very young and pregnant with no health insurance I had applied for Medi Cal. I had no real idea what I was doing except that my then boyfriend (now husband, and the applicant) and I had no insurance, no money and a baby on the way. When you apply for Medi Cal and are un-married they automatically issue some sort of complaint against the baby's father for child support. I think by the time the paperwork was processed for Medi Cal we had gotten insurance through the company he worked for and I never even received any sort of benefit from Medi Cal. We always lived together, he always supported all of us, but the complaint was issued. He never heard anything more about it and and I didn't even remember it until today.

I apologize for all the details, my question is along the lines of what I mentioned before....should he try to contact someone or will he be able to add it once the background investigator contacts him (his PHS is in, QAP passed, and conditional offer letter sent)

Thanks!

As far as the citation, if you elect to take traffic school, and the court dismisses the cite upon completion, then I would say it was dismissed. There are limits as to how many times traffic school can be taken, so it is a given that some will have a cite dismissed. I believe it is still listed on the DMV record as dismissed, so it should be OK.

As for the other stuff I couldn't tell you. The main thing the department is looking for is honesty, so as long as all the information comes out during interviews with the background investigator, and what is discussed isn't criminal, then there should be no problem.

You'll just have to wait and see, but being open with the dept is the main thing.

[dw]

Should one try to contact their background investigator if they put "dismissed" for traffic citations that resulted in a fine and traffic school, or will there be an opportunity to correct the mistake in his initial interview? Address it during the initial interview.

The main thing the department is looking for is honesty, so as long as all the information comes out during interviews with the background investigator, and what is discussed isn't criminal, then there should be no problem.I'm not sure I would agree with that statement. There are numerous factors involved in the decision to extend a job offer and up-front honesty is only one of those. There are plenty of non-criminal aspects evaluated that may result in disqualification.

[snowdog]

As far as the citation, if you elect to take traffic school, and the court dismisses the cite upon completion, then I would say it was dismissed.
As for the other stuff I couldn't tell you. The main thing the department is looking for is honesty, so as long as all the information comes out during interviews with the background investigator, and what is discussed isn't criminal, then there should be no problem.
My bad. On my list I omitted the response of "Traffic School" when it is applicable. But, it was not an intentional omission so please forgive me. If I'm not mistaken, and I often am, I believe that is listed as an option on the 446f. I'm also down with DW on his reply HIPCHIP. Certainly honesty is an important characteristic but I wouldn't want applicants to be under the impression that honesty gives them a free ride. I believe I've stated before that sometimes honesty puts you in the penalty box for a period but time can take care of it. But, being a liar marks one for much longer and can lead to never being released from the penalty box.

Should one try to contact their background investigator if they put "dismissed" for traffic citations that resulted in a fine and traffic school, or will there be an opportunity to correct the mistake in his initial interview? It is my understanding from snowdog's answer that my hubby should have listed "guilty" for a couple of speeding tickets and I know he did not.
Wife, let me preface my comment by saying I'm certain you are a wonderful wife, devoted mother , strong supporter of your husband and the Ying to his Yang. Also, this comment is not intended solely for you.
There are parts of this process that applicants need to experience alone. If they need advice then THEY should be the ones seeking it. Certainly their partners deserve to know important information such as how long the process might take, will we have to relocate, how often do we get paid, what changes can you expect from your applicant. We encourage applicants to keep their partners totally informed but the actual testing process should be their sole responsibility. You will not be there on pick-up day to remind him what the kids SSN's are, you won't be there to help him calculate the coefficient of friction during class, you won't be there to remind him to maintain a 45 degree angle on the violators weak hand during a control hold, you won't be there during his first DUI arrest to remind him how to administer the PAS test, and you won't be there during his first pursuit to remind him of policy as he's flying down the freeway trying to drive the car, work the radio and avoid hurting anyone.
But I know you'll be there when he comes home on the weekend to make sure he has time to study, has someone to share his experience with, has someone to practice control holds and arrest techniques (feel free to volunteer to act as an arrestee), and be that someone who only listens on those days he struggles either as a trainee or as an officer who just had to keep it together in front of everyone while bad things were happening around him.
Allow him to make some errors on his own. That is how we learn. Too often I've heard "I put that there because ____ (usually not an officer) told me I should." He will learn soon enough how critical his error was.
Again, this does not only apply to you but I hope you understand what I mean.
Good Luck to you and your husband.

[Wife*Of*NZ]

You are absolutely right!

It's hard to find that line, it being such a huge change for all of us. I was nervous when I saw you responded to this thread but I appreciate the way you put it, thank you.

He's perfectly capable of doing it on his own, and I will let him do so! :smile:

[A.S.]

Great post, Snowdog.

[CHP_Hopeful86]

Here's another question for you guys, hopefully someone can still answer. I was actually at a CHP station today for a ride along, but with everything that was going on I didn't get a chance to ask someone. Anyway, I am also filling out my Cadet Arrest and Citation Questionaire and was wondering a couple of things. I have two tickets on my record, both for failing to stop at a stop sign, I paid the ticket and took traffic school, would I file that as guilty, not guilty, or dismissed? And if guilty, it asks for "date, place, and length of confinement, amount of time, and length of probation, name and address of Probation officer. Someone help! Oh and one officer said that I should list parking tickets while another said that I don't have to. Which one is right? Thanks a million guys!

[HIPCHIP]

Address it during the initial interview.

I'm not sure I would agree with that statement. There are numerous factors involved in the decision to extend a job offer and up-front honesty is only one of those. There are plenty of non-criminal aspects evaluated that may result in disqualification.

My point is, if you are trying to hide something, then that is dishonest. If you you forgot to mention something, and you bring it up later, what the dept is looking for is the honesty, so the fact that you forgot to bring it up before shouldn't be a problem. I never said it was the ONLY factor!:doh:

[snowdog]

I am also filling out my Cadet Arrest and Citation Questionaire and was wondering a couple of things. I have two tickets on my record, both for failing to stop at a stop sign, I paid the ticket and took traffic school, would I file that as guilty, not guilty, or dismissed? And if guilty, it asks for "date, place, and length of confinement, amount of time, and length of probation, name and address of Probation officer. Someone help! Oh and one officer said that I should list parking tickets while another said that I don't have to. Which one is right? Thanks a million guys!
On the first part of your question, either "Guilty", "Traffic School" or "Guilty/Traffic School" would suffice. Definitely not dismissed.
Keep in mind that the 446f is an "Arrest and Citation Questionnaire". Some of the fields, such as length of confinement and Probation Officer, will only apply to arrests. N/A will suffice in those boxes.
Parking tickets are given to a car, not a person. Therefore, they do not need to be listed.
Good Luck.

[snowdog]

My point is, if you are trying to hide something, then that is dishonest. If you you forgot to mention something, and you bring it up later, what the dept is looking for is the honesty, so the fact that you forgot to bring it up before shouldn't be a problem. I never said it was the ONLY factor!:doh:
I hate to get all "Clinton" about this but now we have to define "shouldn't be a problem". Full disclosure must be provided during the entire testing process. Too often we've heard "Why am I being disqualified? I forgot but I disclosed it once I remembered it". Certainly that is possible but that doesn't mean it is not a problem.
Consider this. Applicant A & B take their QAP on the same day. Applicant A provides full disclosure which included some negative information and gets a score of 65. He is no longer a viable candidate in that testing cycle.
Applicant B forgets to mention that he got fired for theft 3 years ago and gets a score of 70. He moves on to backgrounds where he suddenly remembers during his CVSA. Do we simply forgive his inability to recall and allow him to proceed? Or, is his QAP score no longer valid because we don't know how that information might have affected his QAP score, possibly knocking him down to a 65.
Here's my suggestion. Do your research the moment you decide to enter this process. Review personnel files, credit history, DMV records, rental history and all other information that is taken into consideration. Then when you disclose everything, it shouldn't be a problem.

[Eagl5]

I hate to get all "Clinton" about this but now we have to define "shouldn't be a problem". Full disclosure must be provided during the entire testing process. Too often we've heard "Why am I being disqualified? I forgot but I disclosed it once I remembered it". Certainly that is possible but that doesn't mean it is not a problem.
Consider this. Applicant A & B take their QAP on the same day. Applicant A provides full disclosure which included some negative information and gets a score of 65. He is no longer a viable candidate in that testing cycle.
Applicant B forgets to mention that he got fired for theft 3 years ago and gets a score of 70. He moves on to backgrounds where he suddenly remembers during his CVSA. Do we simply forgive his inability to recall and allow him to proceed? Or, is his QAP score no longer valid because we don't know how that information might have affected his QAP score, possibly knocking him down to a 65.
Here's my suggestion. Do your research the moment you decide to enter this process. Review personnel files, credit history, DMV records, rental history and all other information that is taken into consideration. Then when you disclose everything, it shouldn't be a problem.

+1