BI Question

[darch]

Received call today from one of my referances, that I had listed in my BI package. He said he has been contacted by C.H.P. (received packet by mail). I'm still waiting for my initial contact from the BI, is this normal? The referance that contacted me is also LE, does this make a difference:confused::

[TheForceCHP]

in my case i had the initial before anything else started, but i don't thing that either way really matters. maybe DW will be able to answer your question better, but i look at it as you might be getting the call for your initial soon! GOOD LUCK

[Kojak]

I'm still waiting for my initial contact from the BI, is this normal?

darch-

It is not unusual for your BI to mail out letters to your references prior to conducting the initial interview. This is actually among the initial stages of conducting your background investigation. I am told that it usually takes references a LONG TIME to return the questionnaires so the BIs like to get them out as early as possible. Do yourself a favor and remind all your references to return the required documents ASAP.

FYI- During my background investigation my BI called to tell me that he had sent letters to my references and that he would be contacting me soon (read 3 months) to conduct the initial. Soooo... congrats on making it this far and be prepared to wait a little while before you see any more activity with your investigation, your BI most likely has an overwhelming caseload.

[x MAIT]

When I worked backgrounds as soon as I got a new case I would send out all letters and information requests. It would get a portion of the case going even if I didn't have time to start interviews. It's normal and nothing to be concerned about.

Good Luck!

[pupdog]

Yes, perfectly normal. It was a bit of a suprise, since I hadn't had my inital either.
Also be prepared for people you didn't list to call you saying they got something. So far here, my parents neighbors. It was left at their front door (hope it didn't take too long, because they park behind their house & use the back door). She actually called to ask what she should write! I told her it was, but wasn't, any of my business.

Which makes me wonder...we've never met the neighbors on the other side (they live in the country). If they somply ignore it because they don't know me, I wonder if that holds things up!

[Kevin]

I don't know about the CHP, but the agencies I'm familiar with in the SF Bay Area always mail those out near the end of the background stage. Their reasoning behind it is they want to conduct the bulk of the investigation first to see if it's even worth mailing those references out. If everything is verified in your PHS, the fingerprint checks come back clean and you passed the polygraph, that's when they send out those letters. If they like you and you meet their qualifications, you're in whether or not they get any of those "junk" letters back, unless someone you've listed on the PHS sends back something of major concern, which I highly doubt..

[Officer_Grady]

it's good, someone is working on your file, than sitting with 30 other files getting dust.

[dw]

Each Division does things a little differently. Some Divisions will mail out the reference letters upon receipt of your PHS, others will do it after the initial interview. I guess technically the investigation has begun as soon as the letters go out (if they do, in fact, go out first), however the real beginning is your initial interview.

[Kevin]

A thorough background investigator would actually go out and interview those references, instead of just mailing out those letters. However, it's just not feasible and efficient when you have over 40 cases to work on at the same time and many more waiting to be assigned.

A good reference or recommendation will not carry you over a weakness in the selection process. A strong recommendation can not overcome an evaluation of a weak candidate. When the recommendation comes from another law enforcement agency, it makes me wonder...."If they think they are so damn great, why aren't they hiring him/her?"