Do I still have a chance?

r/

Ever since I was little I wanted to be a police officer. I was an explorer when I was a teenager, made some mistakes earlier in life and got rejected from some agencies at 18-21 years old. I thought my career in LE was over at that time and kind of gave up on my dreams. I haven’t done anything stupid/illegal for the past 9/10 years until now. Recently I went to the grand opening of a store. There were literally hundreds of people packed into the store, so much so that they started doing crowd control and the line to get in wrapped around the exterior. My wife, friends and I took one lap around the inside and I got the last soda can from the fridge. I grabbed it intending to pay for it. Then, we went and luckily snagged a table in the crowded restaurant inside the store. I left the soda with my friend at the table while my wife and I did another lap around the store and got some hot food. We quickly got in line before a massive line formed behind us. It wasn’t until I got to the front of the line that I realized I forgot to run back and get the soda I left with my friend. I paid for the rest of my groceries and made the stupid decision to take the $2 soda home with me as well. A few days later when the hype/crowd died down, I went back and paid for the soda. I know this doesn’t negate the fact that I took it in the first place. I’ve never stolen anything before and really regret my decision. I’ve progressed so much since the last time I applied to any LE agency. I grew up, got married, did a lot of community work (I work at a nonprofit helping underprivileged kids with homework/tutoring/learning science), earned my bachelor’s degree, 5 months away from earning my master’s degree, made weight loss/fitness progress. Do you think I ruined my chances? Like I said, this is the only stupid decision I’ve made in the last 9/10 years. Should I wait a couple of years and then apply or should I not bother? Thanks for your advice!

Comments

  1. imjusthere3877 Avatar

    Going to be agency dependent. But it’s a pretty small thing, and you went back and squared it away. Just be honest in applications

  2. ooblankie Avatar

    Heavily dependent on what those mistakes you made earlier in life were.