Can Bad Credit Keep You From Becoming a Police Officer?

To become a police officer, an individual must apply to a department and submit to an extensive screening process. In many ways, the hiring process resembles that of a normal job. As with other employers, many police departments choose to look at the credit histories of their applicants. If an applicant has a bad credit rating, the police department may be less likely to hire him for an open position.

Credit Reports

A person's credit history is summarized in his credit report, a dossier that contains information about the individual's previous loans and lines of credit. This credit report includes both the nature of the loan and information on whether the individual paid it back on time. This report is used by credit reporting agencies to calculate the individual's credit score. Employers and other people with a legitimate business interest in a person's credit history can look at it.

Bad Credit

Many employers choose to discriminate against employees with bad credit. Although the taking out of credit is likely not a function of the person's job, many employers believe that a bad credit rating is indicative of an irresponsible nature. For police departments, individuals who have failed to pay back loans they took out may be looked upon as less trustworthy than candidates with high credit scores.

Interpretation

There is no hard and fast rule about what score a police department considers favorable. In truth, many police departments may decide on a case-by-case basis what an individual's credit report says about him. For example, an individual who lost his job and couldn't meet his mortgage payments, pushing him into foreclosure, may be looked upon more favorably than a candidate who was hit with a civil judgment for a failure to pay child support.

Considerations

A candidate applying for a job in a police department may wish to be up front about his credit history. If the candidate has bad credit and knows the police department will consult his credit report, he may wish to explain in advance why his score is low. This may make the candidate appear more trustworthy and responsible and potentially mollify some of the concerns the department has about his character.