What To Do, Where To Go, After You Hit Rock Bottom?

That’s not bad. You have to start fresh because there’s another year of your life to review. [quote=“Kpac20, post:20, topic:248217”]
I asked the department I turned down if I could re enter the process… the chief is reviewing…
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It’s worth a shot. You just have to own your mistake and ask for forgiveness.

The irony of all this is that you’re being judged harshly by military and police for binge drinking. These are regular occurrences in both fields.

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What would you recommend that I do, Career-wise?

You’ll have to answer that for yourself. Only you know if you want to be a cop.

I would recommend getting a master’s degree instead of a second bachelor’s degree (if you go back to school).

Two bachelor’s degrees aren’t really any more valuable than one.

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Spot on.

If anything, one might think two bachelor’s degrees mean you’re simply unfocused; or you’re one of those people who just want to hang out in college as long as possible w/o having to actually work for a living.

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I know it’s what I want to do. The problem is I want to do it now, was so fucking close, then fucked Up like a complete idiot. I guess I was asking if I should wait a year or just throw some other applications out there. I actually have a few grad courses under my belt in Criminal Justice.

Just a suggestion: Don’t hammer yourself too badly. Keep it in perspective. You made a mistake. You didn’t kill anybody (not that that’s the high water mark for remorse).

Start looking for any connections you may have like professors or family friends that can help you move past this.

Maybe start looking at some of the letter agencies.

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Federal agencies? I did apply for the federal bureau of prisons today. My friend works there and spoke with HR. They reached out and said they would contact me in November to schedule an interview. I scored as best qualified for the gs-05 correctional officer position. Yeah it’s not police work, but a step in the right direction, and a federal agency. Could open a lot of doors. They also won’t be able to see my night in the tank, I don’t think.

There is FBI, CIA, Homeland security, etc.

Cast a wide net. You’ve just spent a long time and a lot of money.

Why not apply for law school ? Then you’d be prime for federal law enforcement after graduation

Corrections isn’t a bad place to start. The county where I’m at used to only hire their detention deputies for their patrol spots.

What do you do after you hit rock bottom?

Talk honestly to those who you trust to have good judgment. See what they think and then start from there.

If you don’t have anyone you trust to have good judgment then I’d say just enlist and see where life takes you from there. The worst that can happen once you enlist is that you die, but that’s better than rock bottom right?

I thought about it, but it’s a 3 year program over 50k per year

Talk to your family about it. My guess is they will be supportive and offer help where they can. They know you far better than the internet.

Good luck man.

Is my night in the tank something the BoP would have access to? If no arrest and no charges? I’ve been doing a lot of research online and talked to my friend who works for them. Couldn’t get a straight answer… I’d rather not say anything about it

If they ask you anything that leads you to think you need tell them then do so. Don’t just randomly volunteer it though.

Like I said before, your name might be on a police report even though you weren’t charged with anything. If they contact the department directly then they could find it.

Maybe try becoming an investigator while waiting requisite time to reapply for cop/military work. Local district attorneys or indigent defender boards in your area are good places to apply. (DAs pay more.) They’d appreciate your education and that work would help build your resume for law enforcement if that’s what you want presently.

Above all else, keep an open mind for the future.

If you’re still interested in military, enlisting in military after having previously been accepted to OCS could be a real letdown. But despite that, starting out enlisted and eventually applying to OCS after awhile ought to get you accepted again. Just be careful with the politics with senior enlisteds and keep your plans to yourself. I was advised by a lieutenant commander after I left Navy active duty for the reserves that my Navy OCS application I submitted after serving 2 years enlisted was rejected solely because of a Navy chief’s fitness report on me. I really wanted that life, then, very similar to what you’ve written. ( Probably it was that physical fight we had in the office one day that influenced his writing.) As a result of that door slamming, I became a pretty successful lawyer and I’ve not looked back, though I can remember–and laugh-- having to go to officers’ club at least 4 times on duty watches in those years to drive a really drunk commander home after midnight.

I’d never thought of that. I’ll . look into that. I live in the smallest state in the country, so job opps are slim in that field. Can’t hurt to throw some shit at the wall.

If it’s the smallest state then commuting to the next state/county ought to be a short drive!

Being an investigator would be good experience. You might just like it.

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Biker might be on to something there. Something similar happened to a friend of mine and he took off in his van with a few friends and his great dane dog. They solved crimes throughout the country, those pesky kids.

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I appreciate the post. I turned to this forum because though we are a bunch of meatheads, there are a lot of successful and intelligent men and women. I spoke with my lawyer, and since there are no arrests or charges I will not have to admit to it on any application. Some agencies may have access to it if they look, but I will explain myself when they ask. Some positives - I was TRYING to be responsible. Booked a hotel room, took a taxi, DID NOT drive, had no physical confrontations; I was attempting to use my best judgement. Yesterday I felt like I was at rock bottom when I received those phone calls. Couldn’t look in the mirror, stomach food, or even get the motivation to hit the gym. Today I feel like I’m ready to move forward and get myself out of this shit hole predicament I put myself in. Binge drinking will no longer be a part of my life. I put an application out to a criminal investigation position in my town. put some apps out to the county jails around me. received a call from the BoP That I will be getting a call by November 9th to schedule my interview. The department I turned down may reconsider me. Signing up for another grad course next term. I’m disappointed in myself, but I know that a closed door means a new one will open. My main concern is to land a stable career in this field to provide myself and my girl with some stability when she graduates from nursing school next may. I let her down, my family down, my department down, and most of all, myself down. But I will get through this and find an equal if not better opportunity. Shit happens, life isn’t easy. Thanks for all the support.