PTSD and Police - Page 2

captrn1 · #11 10-05-2008, 10:08 PM

Big Gun
My brother is a retired Ranger from the USA. He had some disabilities coming out. He did become a small town cop....But he wanted to become a state trooper....that was his ultimate goal in life......he could not pass the psychological part of the exam due to his history in the military....You probably could become an officer but you may have limitations on advancement.
Kel

Riggs413 · #12 10-06-2008, 04:16 PM

Hey Big Gun

I am struggling with the loss of my career as a LEO right now. I am in Canada and up here I know that with the testing that the major departments do....you couldn't get on with an existing condition of PTSD. They barely look after you when you develop PTSD after serving for over 20 years.

Down in the U.S. each state is different but in any of the major cities that I know officers in, they have testing similiar to us up here when you apply.

Small town departments may be an option for you, as their testing may not be as comprehensive as a major city's department would be, if you chose that route.

Take all the time you can in making your choice and I would suggest that you explore the teaching option to the fullest. We all make our own choices in life and I won't tell you not to try to get on to a police department but IMHO, existing PTSD and police work do not mix.

catjudo · #13 12-06-2008, 06:29 AM

I once held a civilian, administrative position within a police department and know from that experience that the background investigation for any potential police officer is extensive. I do not know what the policy is on hiring an LEO with PTSD but I do know that if you do not disclose your PTSD they will find out anyway. Among other things, our background investigations included detectives talking in person (face-to-face) with the applicant's family, friends, neighbors, past neighbors, past employers, past co-workers, etc. I think it extremely unlikely that they would not discover your PTSD. You definitely would want that information to come from you and not be uncovered by an investigator.