On the 11th I think we are just going to be filling out paper work, getting our insurance and retirement taken care of. I believe we will also be issued our gear. I cant wait, I’m starting to get restless now, like it’s Christmas eve and I’m 5 years old or something.

The final offer of employment was a lot different than what I had expected, but in a way I was glad. I was expecting it to be a big production, but instead it was a bit rushed. We all sat at a large table with the Major at the head. As he flipped through our files he congratulated us all and went around the table and asked everyone if they still wanted to work for the department, everyone said “yes”. The major than excused himself from the room and left the recruiting officer in charge of finishing everything.

I start 11 Sept 06 (I know, I know) and will be going to the academy the week after. so I guess it will be a week of shit duty before we go to the academy. Than it will be 6 weeks of worst than shit duty at the academy, so I better enjoy it now.

***

The selection process consists of ten steps that must be completed in its entirety prior to hiring.

• Application Accepted
• Application Screening
• Nelson-Denny Testing
• Initial Background Interview
• Background Investigation
• Conditional Offer of Employment
• Drug/Alcohol Screen
• Physical Examination
• Psychological & Polygraph Examinations
• Final Offer of Employment by the Chief of Police

Other notable items that I found out:

Raymond Kertezc doesn’t exist (I goggled him after the test).

If you like Archery and stamp collecting, you might be “flagged”

No one watched the high jump in the Olympics.

Going to the dentist is not everyone’s favorite pastime.

Once I returned from my lunch break I was taken back into the recruiting office and sat at a table with a Psychological Assessment Test and answer sheet on the desk. I was told to take as much time as needed and once I was done with the “test” to turn it in. The test was rather redundant, but anyone who has taken a similar test knows this. It seems there are only about 50 questions that are asked within the entire booklet, but they reword the same questions to compare the answers given. Every 75 or so questions they placed a “trick” question, I guess to see if the test taker was reading the questions or something.

“My favorite sports event on television is the high jump” “Sometimes I get ads in the mail that I don’t want” “Sometimes it seems that my thoughts are broadcast so others can hear them” “My favorite poet is Raymond Kertzec” “Most people would rather win than lose” “Sometimes it feels as if somebody is blocking my thoughts” “My favorite hobbies are archery and stamp-collecting.”

***

The selection process consists of ten steps that must be completed in its entirety prior to hiring.

• Application Accepted
• Application Screening
• Nelson-Denny Testing
• Initial Background Interview
• Background Investigation
• Conditional Offer of Employment
• Drug/Alcohol Screen
• Physical Examination
• Psychological & Polygraph Examinations
• Final Offer of Employment by the Chief of Police

It was a long three hours in what I’m sure is the smallest office at the police station.

Everything seemed pretty routine, at lest to me it did. He had me sign some wavers before he started, stating that I agreed to the polygraph and if I didn’t want to answer a question I could end the interview at any time.

After that he explained to me what the components of the polygraph machine are, and went on the talk about how the machine works. Once he established that the machine doesn’t detect lies but rather changes in unconsciously countrolled things in your body we were ready to start.

The pre-interview, was made up of him just asking questions and getting me to open up and feel comfortable and get to talking more as he took notes. We also went over my Personal History Statement that I filled out after my Nelson-Denny test. He had me go over my answers and asked (multiple times) if there was anything I wanted to change. Once we established that I didn’t want to change any of my answers he created a few questions that would be used on the polygraph. After talking with me for about an hour he had enough question to conduct the mock interview. He had me sit in a chair across the table from him and we went over the questions as if I were hooked up. The only difference aside from my not being hooked up was he fully explained the question, going into full detail of what was being asked before I answered the question.

“Have you ever taken anything, or consumed anything from a job that you were not allowed or supposed to?”

 

“Now by this question we are talking about ANYTHING, a stapler, soda, ANYTHING. Do you understand?” a slight pause “By the way you’ve answered the questions in this packet I feel that you are a pretty honest person and this question should be rather simple.” Pause “So again, have you ever taken anything, or consumed anything from a job that you were not allowed or supposed to?”

Each question was constructed like this. So after we went through all the questions and we both felt comfortable with the questions and the answers he hooked me up and we were off and running.

Before the questioning begins he explained each piece of the machine as he attached the various parts to their intended location.

Once everything was hooked up he explained that the machine needed to get my “normal reading” once he was satisfied with the readings the computer was getting he handed me a clipboard with a blank sheet of paper attached to it, and said to print a number 1 through 8 not 1 and not 8 in the center of the sheet. Once I printed my number he took the clipboard and hung it on the door directly in front of me. A series of questions follows, per his instructions I was to answer “no” to all of the following questions.

“Did you print the number 1 on the paper?”

“No”

Long Pause “Did you print the number 2 on the paper?”

“No”

Long Pause “Did you print the number 3 on the paper?”

“No”

Long Pause “Did you print the number 4 on the paper?”

“No”

Long Pause “Did you print the number 5 on the paper?”

“No”

Ect……

After all eight questions were asked he retrieved a printout from the printer behind him. As he showed me the various line waves he explained the me how the machine detects changes in your body, as even though I was told it was ok to “lie” about what number I printed the polygraph machine was able to detect (pointing to a large spike in the waves) they my fight or flight response kicked in and was registered as a possible false statement.

Once the “real” test began I was instructed to keep my feet flat on the ground and answer the following series of questions truthfully. He conducted three sets of questioning each lasting about five minuets each with a two minuet break in between. I don’t remember the order of each “set” but the questions were all the same just asked in a different order each time.

I don’t remember all of the questions but they were something like this:

Is that door brown?

Is today Tuesday?

 

Have you ever lied to your current girlfriend?

Have you ever taken anything, or consumed anything from a job that you were not allowed or supposed to?

 

Have you ever committed any crime, that if found out you could go to prison for?

Are you, or have you ever been a member of a Terrorist, or Separatist group?

Once all three sets of questions were completed he took the print outs into another office leaving me inside the interrogation room for about ten to fifteen minuets.

When he returned to go over my “results” the first thing he said to me was “Is there ANYTHING you wanted to tell me about ANY of the questions we just went over?” I think he was just trying to get me to admit to employment-disqualifying things, to see if he could “bluff” me into thinking that the machine detected something. I knew it had not because I was not lying. So I stuck to my guns and stood by all of my answers.

When we went over the results he explained to me how the test is scored and what they are looking for. All of the important questions came back as truthful statements, but apparently I lie to my girlfriend .

I was allowed to break for lunch before my Psychological test, but before I left the polygraph office the interrogator congratulated me and told me that he will type up my letter stating that the polygraph section was completed.

Woo Hoo!!

***

The selection process consists of ten steps that must be completed in its entirety prior to hiring.

• Application Accepted
• Application Screening
• Nelson-Denny Testing
• Initial Background Interview
• Background Investigation
• Conditional Offer of Employment
• Drug/Alcohol Screen
• Physical Examination
• Psychological & Polygraph Examinations
• Final Offer of Employment by the Chief of Police

Everything seemed pretty cut and dry, mostly forms to sign and he explained to me that I am the type of applicant the department is looking for. My background check had not indicated anything out of the normal, nor did my references reveal anything unexpected of me. He went on to say as long as my Physical, Polygraph, and Psychological tests came back clear I would have a job with the City Police Department.

Once all the paperwork was signed I was given a sheet of paper with the next four steps of the application process on it: Employee Health Clinic, Physical, Polygraph Investigation, and Psychological Assessment. I was given instruction to go to the employee health clinic and get a Drug/Alcohol Screen and a TB test done. Once that was completed I was to get a Physical Examination, and arrange a date for my Polygraph Investigation, and Psychological Assessment.

Everything was put in my lap to handle at my leisure, so being the person that I am I made arrangement to get my Drug/Alcohol Screening, and Physical taken care of right away. The Drug/Alcohol Screening was pretty standard, piss in a cup for the drug test, and give an oral swab for the alcohol, the TB test is a shot given under the skin that has to be read in a few days. With all that out of the way I was able to go to the doctor’s office the department has selected and had to wait three hours to get the doctor to perform a two minute examination, and sign the release papers. During my wait I was able to call the polygraph investigator and set up an appointment for next week (9am Tuesday).

After I dropped off my medical paperwork to the LT and told him when my appointment was we also set up a time to do my psychological test after my polygraph, so it looks like next week everything will [hopefully] be done.

***

The selection process consists of ten steps that must be completed in its entirety prior to hiring.

• Application Accepted
• Application Screening
• Nelson-Denny Testing
• Initial Background Interview
• Background Investigation
• Conditional Offer of Employment
• Drug/Alcohol Screen
• Physical Examination
• Psychological & Polygraph Examinations
• Final Offer of Employment by the Chief of Police

When I told my Lieutenant about what was going on he was a little shocked, but in the end he supported my decision fully. I still haven’t told everyone at work that I have applied at the City Police Department, just incase things don’t work out for me.

Now all I can do it wait for a phone call about the conditional offer of employment….

After I mailed (email that is) the documentation to my background investigator I figured I’d give a call to make sure that was the lat documentation she needed. When I called she informed me that my references have been contacted, along with previous employers. She did give me the “heads up” about calling my current employer so I can let them know I’ve applied for the police department. During our first conversation she had mentioned that my current employer would be contacted last, so I hope to be receiving a phone call to arrange a sit down with the police brass soon……

***

The selection process consists of ten steps that must be completed in its entirety prior to hiring.

• Application Accepted
• Application Screening
• Nelson-Denny Testing
• Initial Background Interview
• Background Investigation
• Conditional Offer of Employment
• Drug/Alcohol Screen
• Physical Examination
• Psychological & Polygraph Examinations
• Final Offer of Employment by the Chief of Police

Now if the letter from First Select would hurry up and get here I will be able to move on the next step in the background investigation process….. I hope.

***

The selection process consists of ten steps that must be completed in its entirety prior to hiring.

• Application Accepted
• Application Screening
• Nelson-Denny Testing
• Initial Background Interview
• Background Investigation
• Conditional Offer of Employment
• Drug/Alcohol Screen
• Physical Examination
• Psychological & Polygraph Examinations
• Final Offer of Employment by the Chief of Police

***

The selection process consists of ten steps that must be completed in its entirety prior to hiring.

• Application Accepted
• Application Screening
• Nelson-Denny Testing
• Initial Background Interview
• Background Investigation
• Conditional Offer of Employment
• Drug/Alcohol Screen
• Physical Examination
• Psychological & Polygraph Examinations
• Final Offer of Employment by the Chief of Police

I found out that my Discover card was still showing that I owe them money (it’s been paid off for 5 years now); I think that is why I’ve been having credit issues. I was able to contact the company and they are sending me a letter stating that it is all cleared up, so that will satisfy the department that I am applying for and I will use the same letter to get it cleaned up on my credit report.

Aside from my credit there was a small issue on my 10yr driving record, apparently the DMV doesn’t play nice with other states. I have to contact an out of state branch of the DMV and get a copy of my driving record from when I lived there. Since I have only lived in state for 4 years I have to account for the other 6 years of my driving. You would think that all that information would be passed back and forth between the states; I guess technology isn’t as advanced as we think.

Both issues have been cleared up and the proper documentation will be delivered as soon as I get them, it just slows the process down a little bit. The investigator will also begin calling all my references and points of contact that I had listed on my application and my personal history statement pack, I’m sure they will have no problems contacting my people even though most of them are out of state. She did mention that my current employer will be contacted last, which is a good idea it gives me time to tell them. And if something comes up in my background investigation (I couldn’t imagine what) that would DQ me at least my employer will not know how close I was the leaving. I was also fingerprinted and had a photo taken of me (not sure what that was for).

Once my investigation is complete I will be brought back downtown and will be seen by the “brass” and given a conditional offer of employment, basically saying “we like what we see, and if you don’t fuck up you got the job” as they say it’s all down hill from here.

***

The selection process consists of ten steps that must be completed in its entirety prior to hiring.

• Application Accepted
• Application Screening
• Nelson-Denny Testing
• Initial Background Interview
• Background Investigation
• Conditional Offer of Employment
• Drug/Alcohol Screen
• Physical Examination
• Psychological & Polygraph Examinations
• Final Offer of Employment by the Chief of Police