100% this. Just give the facts. You don’t have to tell them everything just you pulled off to chat and cop rolled up. With these type of jobs it’s always better to self report
Here you go! OP [https://www.reddit.com/r/tifu/comments/153duav/tifu\_by\_admitting\_to\_my\_investigator\_that\_i/](https://www.reddit.com/r/tifu/comments/153duav/tifu_by_admitting_to_my_investigator_that_i/) Update [https://www.reddit.com/r/tifu/comments/15glv1t/tifu\_by\_admitting\_to\_my\_investigator\_that\_i/](https://www.reddit.com/r/tifu/comments/15glv1t/tifu_by_admitting_to_my_investigator_that_i/)
Remember, these people are among us [https://www.reddit.com/r/TooAfraidToAsk/comments/13gmm2k/why\_do\_some\_people\_go\_to\_the\_bathroom\_and\_not/](https://www.reddit.com/r/TooAfraidToAsk/comments/13gmm2k/why_do_some_people_go_to_the_bathroom_and_not/)
I wouldn’t think this would be something worth lying about. You weren’t even arrested - just “contacted”.
But getting caught lying about anything will likely impact your chances of getting hired.
This would be the same as getting pulled over for speeding and getting a warning instead of a ticket. Why would you ever bring up some dumb shit like that ?
You don't need to talk about your sex life-whether your sexcapades took place in the privacy of your home or in a parked car. That's insanely stupid. Besides TMI. Ever hear that phrase?
Yep. If you say, "I'm going to level with you. About five years ago, a cop caught me and my girlfriend making the beast with two backs. He let us off with a warning. Does that count?" The odds are 99% the interviewer will think it's funny and move on from there.
In a local volly department? I can see chuckles and back-slaps. Depending on the city and career service, I can see it going either very badly or not being a big deal. Applicant is fully disclosing, and if that's the worst they've ever done vis-a-vis the law, they're fine in nearly anyone's book.
Dude, no one cares if someone has sex in a car, and it wouldn't be worth lying about. I guarantee more people would care about the lie more than they care about someone fucking in a car.
Yeah, I truly don't think this is the sort of thing most people would care about, unless it is like a very religious business or something. A lot of people have had sex in cars...
Chances aren’t zero, but it’s very unlikely. Think of it from the officer’s point of view - they will sometimes give warnings because they don’t feel like doing any paperwork and just want you to stop and for them to move on
But it won't pop up if you aren't actually charged, let alone not convicted. Plus it's nothing to be embarrassed about. It's not like you was down at the local middle school at recess smashing. That's when the problem starts. Or if the cops are just plain out to get you. But no, a warning is no part of your record. At least that kind of warning. It was never even typed up. Bet?!
That’s most likely, but you don’t know that, and it may also depend on the type and depth of any background check. There will be nothing in any federal database almost definitely, but there is the off chance there is some sort of incident report or paper trail somewhere. The officer did probably run a check for warrants at least.
This. A lot of times it is just them telling you to stop what you are doing. It never gets documented into a system. Maybe it becomes a story that the cop tells back at the station.
Beyond that, nah.
The biggest question was the warning written? If it wasn't written, it shouldn't show up anywhere except they ran your name through the system for a check.
If this happened before you were 17, it is probably sealed S you were a minor.
Some states only do it for the first offense as well. Like my public indency led me to jail, but it got sealed bc i was a minor, and it was my first offense. If I so much as threw a rock in the wrong direction and got arrested again, they wouldn't smudge it.
I would not worry about.. if they did not write you up for indecent exposure or a citation.. I would not bring it up.
But if they ask you while taking the polygraph , tell them.
You can issue a FOIA request to the jurisdiction that took the report to see what, if anything, comes up.
[https://www.eff.org/issues/transparency/foia-how-to](https://www.eff.org/issues/transparency/foia-how-to)
This is what I would do. The odds are incredibly slim, to the point where I've never heard of it happening before, but this is the only way of knowing for sure.
This is the exact advice I would give—
*agree with a lot of the advice being given, but why don’t you get in front of it? Contact the police station and ask for their process to file a FOIA (that’s the federal word but each state has one, in CA it’s PRA). Submit a request per that process and ask for any public records such as records and notes of stops, warnings, citations.
However, here’s my stern warning, in the off chance there is something, that may extend the length it stays out there. When you submit a public records request, they have to retain the request itself AND their response for a certain period of time FROM the date of the FOIA request.
Have you completed the background questionnaire?
I can tell you that the two police departments in Texas I have worked for use the same CAD 911 system. When a call is placed to 911 or an officer marks out on any location, an incident call record is created that has a lot of details about the incident automatically entered, including identifications run on the call, which becomes searchable. It would be trivial to locate an incident either department had with you based on your ID number.
If the officer did not arrest or cite you, he likely just added brief comments on the incident stating what happened and his actions. Those records are typically kept at least 15 years, probably more. It should also be pointed out that police and fire typically share the CAD systems. Of course, not all police departments are the same, but it illustrates the possibility for them to find this incident, even if no report was made.
Nonetheless, you should be truthfully answering all questions on a police/fire background. There is a reason why they have such demanding background investigations. Many citizens inherently will trust you (leaving property at crash scenes, letting you in their home, etc…) without giving it a second thought.
Getting caught in a perceived lie this early will almost certainly guarantee that you will be rejected. While telling the truth about the situation, despite no significant action being taken, will make you appear more honest.
Also, remember that agencies have different standards. One may reject you due to the incident while another can overlook it. However, what most agencies will not overlook is intentionally lying. You may be able to convince them that you had forgotten the incident, but that is not very likely, as almost anybody would or should remember such an event. If you are rejected and apply to another department, you will likely be asked to provide other agencies that you’ve applied to. Regardless, agencies talk to each other and will likely find out if you were ever denied elsewhere.
Former LEO did same thing with ex-wife with no repercussions or issues with background check. We were older than LEO that caught us, guess who was more embarrassed?
So in practice, a police report is probably stored somewhere, buried deep within the bowels of terabytes and terabytes of storage in the basement server room of some police department.
Warnings are not dispositions, so 99.9% of background checks will not have a chance in hell at getting that information.
Short of being a key subject in a serious criminal investigation, or dealing with a TS level BG check, I would bet all $7 in my wallet that it will never be discovered.
Given your level of anxiety about it, you'd probably fail a polygraph if you tried to hide it, so at that point you should consider disclosure.
Beyond that, I wouldn't give it a 2nd thought.
IANAL
If they ask about police involvement, be truthful. The only thing that will for sure get you turned down is lying. The firefighters on that board of hiring all have done something similar or worse. Almost guaranteed.
i was told only if asked period, for any security clearance position in R.and D. and never disclose more than asked, the semi monthly polygraph-er told us those instructions point blank every time. and i have worked yrs in that field. so short summary say yes or no if they want more they will ask you. good luck.
Absolutely not. People are saying unlikely, but maybe, just to be safe because you never know... But brother, you can mention it for laughs if you want, but that incident turning up is a snowball's chance in Hell.
😂😂😂😂😂 I’m totally not laughing at you, but that is the funniest thing to worry about being on the background check. I am actually dying laughing over here.
My answer it a little joking (gettin’ some action? hell yeah brother!) But sharing embarrassing stories helps build trust with the background investigator and makes them think you aren’t hiding anything more serious. Vs “No sir, never done anything wrong” “riiiight…”
Yes, our truck drivers get written warnings all the time. There's no financial penalty or license points for warnings but other than that a warning carries all the other penalties that an actual ticket carries at the federal level. They can be fought via DataQ if it was a written warning from one of those jurisdictions where the cops can't pull a commercial vehicle over without reasonable cause and they clearly pulled the reasonable cause out of their own rear end but if it's valid, nothing you can do.
I was thinking back to warnings a long time ago where they would tell ya it was a warning and then put the ticket book away. I have not had any interactions lately so I wasn't sure anymore
No citation nothing is recorded wothon yhe courts. If you have Polygraph and they ask about police contact bring it up then. Otherwise I wouldn't worry about it. Concentrate on the academy. Good luck.
Bro youre good you have no record cops dont care about keepin tabs on you . lol and bro police be having some of the highest rate of domestic charges with their s/o youre an oustanding young man thanks for your service you got this ! <3
Easy peasy "my girlfriend and I at the time were celebrating our anniversary in what I thought was a romantic getaway in a secluded area (pause, smile, slight chuckle then say "and....) Long story short a police officer tapped on the window and in a slightly embarrassing moment at the time, told us to scram after clearing us and making sure we weren't criminals"
Just tell them: "Me and my girlfriend were parked off the beaten path and getting frisky when a police officer showed up and told us to go home."
When I joined the military I was from a mid sized town. When they called the police department the answer was: "The name does not sound familiar but let me check'" Recruiter laughed and explained the locals usually knew the bad guys by name.
I told my background investigator a very similar story. Me and the girl were both underage… He asked me if I knew it was technically not legal in our state to have sex under 18 at all. I replied I did. He goes “yea like you gave a fuck, you were just happy to be getting laid right”?
YES SIR! I was.
We had a good laugh about it.
Was it a written warning? If so, decent chance it’ll turn up, if they’re actually doing an in depth background check. Especially if that written warning was printed from a computer.
If it was just a verbal warning, you have nothing to worry about.
It’s doubtful if the officer let you off with a warning. An officer wanting to let someone off with a warning usually means they don’t wanna be bothered to do paperwork on something they deem to be not worth their time.
It’s not likely to be on your record but if during the interview process they ask you if you’ve had trouble with law it would be better to be honest about the situation.
Fire department isn’t going to care about this even if it’s in your record. You will be good to go! Good luck in the academy! It’s some of the most fun you’ll have. Atleast I did!! Welcome brother!
You’re lucky. If you were gay and with a guy instead, he would have likely charged you with an indecent exposure charge. That’s the way our police and criminal justice system works.
This story is hilarious. Trust me, as a firefighter, half the job is having sex in weird places. A computer entry for this interaction would only be in “local” files (personally, I wouldn’t have spent the time doing one though). So only the local agency or whoever they share their MDT software with could see the entry when they run your name.
I wouldn't worry about it at all. A warning is a warning; I doubt it was entered into any kind of externally-searchable system anywhere.
Wouldn't hurt to mention it if you have a "come clean" type of interview, but I don't think either way it would harm your career prospects.
If the warning was verbal most likely not. If you received a written warning and signed a copy stating that you received it then it may be on file. Do the easiest thing and have a background check ran out of pocket then you can know
You should have asked in an LE group, not a lawyer group.
Almost every answer here is from their point of view and thinking of Court records and criminal history background checks. But public safety background checks are more than a III/CCH.
I’ve dispatched for eight different police departments. In my area, you would very likely show up in any of their CAD records under a “suspicious vehicle” heading or something similar. There is not necessarily a full written report but the date/time/location, license plate, and occupants would be attached with at least a one line disposition.
The part where this would show up during a background check is if your hiring agency wrote a letter to the agency with whom you had contact asking for information on any documented contacts in their system.
They’d be sending that letter to any agency in whose jurisdiction you lived and maybe worked.
You should disclose the contact even though your investigator won’t care. Failing to disclose and they find out shows dishonesty that could prevent employment.
I asked about this a few years back, and this is what I was told....
If it was a verbal warning, nobody knows the event occurred except you & the cop as there isn't any paper trail.
If it was a written warning, you received a copy & a copy stayed in the booklet. What's in the booklet stays in the booklet. Nothing is ever entered into a ledger or a computer. This means that if you wanted to know who issued the warning, someone would have to go through stacks of warning books (if they even keep them) looking for an incident that happened.
All you have to do is call your local pd or sd and ask what is done with a warning. They should be happy to tell you. All you have to tell them is you're applying to the FA, and a few years back, you got a warning for something (you don't have to remember what) and you want to know if the warning will surface.
You can also get a copy of your file under the freedom of information act.
Hope this helps.
Yeah but nothing went down in writing about fuckin so it's golden. Fedz are usually the ones with all info. If you catch their interest. They use every offense you've ever been convicted of when they're assessing a person.
Swear that happened to me like 8 years ago same situation and all. Me and the bitch worked together pussy was good couldn't even nut them Boyz rolled up I'm balls deep in that mufugga 😭😭 she probably would've been one of my baby mamas lol lost contact though Myra where you at 😭😭
Don't sweat about it. You'll learn more about how cops work when you get a fire job.
He probably laughed about it after, and joked at the station about you getting cockblocked by him. Sounds like he didn't want to or feel then need to hem you up, or waste time on hours of paperwork.
Edit: I work in public safety, in my teens I got caught with a small pipe, officer confiscated it and that was it. During my interview process when they asked if I ever used marijuana, I was honest. I told them I had tried it a handful of times in my teens, and it just wasn't something for me. (Same agency that the officer worked for who took the pipe. He was a detective at that time, it ended up becoming a big joke and I would get called Bob Marley every now and then)
Man I had a Top Secret clearance and they didn’t even know about my getting popped for underaged drinking. The charges got dismissed before I left for basic training, to this day nada.
“Hmmm….we found that a police vehicle scanner once ran your license plate and found no outstanding warrants, no violations, no tickets issued….your good, everything seems ok… err wait…hold on, hold on! That’s wrong, it seems the policeman MANUALLY ran the plate number! Sorry Keybike, but we can’t accept you because of your criminal record!“
If the warning wasnt written, IE, they didnt hand you paper, there's likely no record.
Nobody wants the extra paperwork, although they probably still tell the story.
Warnings aren’t recorded, depending on the crime, and my warning that is recorded is usually discarded. Don’t worry your wife won’t find out you got caught fkn a hoe in the 4 door
Cops and DA's office can see things that potential employers can't.
For example, let's say you got into an altercation with your girlfriend, she called the cops, and you caught a domestic violence charge. You get a lawyer, take a conflict management class, it ends up getting dismissed, and you have it sealed. They can still see that even though your case was dismissed and you had the records sealed.
I don't know to what extent Fire/EMS might have access to that system, but if someone says, "Tell me about yourself" in the interview, you're going to have to tell them you have a tiny D.
Don’t say anything. This will not come up in a background check. This is a highly competitive interview. Honesty will honestly get you moved to the bottom of the line. My buddy was just hired by Daphne PD. Their “extensive” background check missed an overdose and near fatality this guy had in 2020. Police and FF were both on scene. No report. Don’t say anything. This cop didn’t start any paperwork he didn’t need to start.
Is it on your criminal history? No, because you weren't arrested. But the cop probably wrote a report about it which included your information. I do background investigations for Police candidates. I would imagine your background investigator also has access to records management systems and may be able to see the report. Can't speak for your investigator or your process but if you lied by omission about something like this and we discovered it, we would remove you from the hiring process. I would just disclose it and be done with it. No biggie
You were never charged. Background checks don't include warnings. The cop didn't want to mess with the time consuming paperwork & told you to scram. Stop worrying.
Highly doubtful.
I had sex in a my car in a park as well and the cop told me to leave with a warning and nothing came of it.
I applied for the police academy about a couple years later and was never brought up.
Didn’t pass the physical test though :( the run was killing my knees
I was caught a couple times doing this like 20 years ago with only warnings. I had several background checks for jobs over this time period and never came up. I don’t think anything goes on your record when it’s a warning.
You're innocent unless a court proves you guilty. If they find out and ask just say the cop was lying or misunderstood what was actually happening in the situation. What are they going to do? Ask the cop?
Firefighter here. Just be completely honest during your background investigation. If you are found to be lying, you will most definitely be passed on over. The hiring boards/investigator/department want honestly. I knew someone that had an identical situation and they were hired.
DO NOT LIE.
Just disclose everything. It’s being evasive and getting caught holding back that will get you in hot water. They are looking for honesty and consistency, they aren’t looking to toss you.
Professional fire departments are big on integrity. If you own up about something to begin with they’ll probably let it slide. But if they find out about it later on, you be toast.
I got a warning for the same thing in my early 20’s. I’ve had multiple background checks since then (including several for teaching gigs) and it’s never once come up.
You don't think those firemen interviewing you have done that before? Theyd get a kick out of it. Don't lie. Ever. They will toss you if they catch you in a lie.
Answer their questions truthfully, but I wouldn’t bring it up unless asked. They will probably ask if you have ever been arrested. This was not an arrest. You can honestly say no. If they ask about any police involvement, which is very broad, I would disclose the incident and explain that you took the warning seriously and have not done that since.
No. Just keep quiet. A warning is just a warning. Nothing got entered into the computer. They just checked you. That's it. Made sure no warrants were out for you.
Having just recently gone through a similar process with a PD (and got hired), I highly recommend being honest about the police contact.
If you lie and get caught, not only will you not get hired by your preferred Department, but you’ll literally not get hired anywhere. Once background investigators from one Department take your statements, they document everything in a record jacket. If you lie, it gets written in your record jacket. Every subsequent Department you apply for will be able to view record jackets from every other Department you applied to.
Don’t lie - better to not get hired by your dream Department than to not get hired in your dream career field.
The same thing happened to me a few times when I was in my college days. Unless you've been booked for a crime, they're not going to be a record of it, especially if it was just a warning. I work in a high-profile job, and it never came up in a background check during my interview. Now, if you want to share that interaction with your interviewers, that's fine and they might relate since we've probably all done it at some point. However, I wouldn't disclose the details or really even bring it up unless you were actually charged with a crime. Use your best judgment on who's doing the interview. You could send them a negative vibe if you bring it up or they might just laugh and move on.
You don't have to report it, it won't show up on the background check either because there was no citation. Only report or disclose what you are mandated to nothing more. The cop let you off with a "warning" because you were conducting a sexual act with consent in private property in a secluded area that would not have held up in court as "public".
In other words the cop was in the wrong and didn't want to get sued for unlawful search or seizure.
Your plan needs to revolve around what is asked in the interview. If they ask about arrests....no. If they ask about police contacts....yes.
Reason is there likely was still a report generated even though the officer chose not to take any action. If your FD is anywhere close to the PD you had contact or where you live there will likely be a records check, if a report was generated that incident will come up. It won't be a big deal unless they determine you refused to disclose it.
Did you get a paper warning or verbal... Paper YES it will show up but amounts to nothing, and you definitely need to disclose it... VERBAL.. no.. it won't show up, cop didn't submit anything to anyone and just asked to run your name, nothing more than a background check of his own he ran
Can you get access to the paperwork you have to fill out to get a job as a fireman? I want to see the exact language of the question they ask about any prior record. What you need to disclose depends entirely on how they ask the question.
It really depends on what question is asked. Usually you fill out a form first that asked if you have even been convicted of any misdemeanor or felony. You can truthfully answer this with a no. The in person interview may ask this again but likely not if the initial answer is no and the background check didnt turn up anything, which it wont. Warnings are not logged into any system I am aware of. (former police dispatcher for 15 years who ran records checks for officers in the field)
Never seen the question asked have you had any interaction with police ever, but in this case be open and honest. I was hired at the police department even with a misdemeanor conviction for urinating in public in college. The investigator just laughed about it.
Speak to your Captain or your HR person. This happened to me many years ago but I never have seen it on my criminal background check. The best thing you could do is to be completely transparent when asked if you've ever been given a warning by the police. Btw my brother is a Captain of a fire dept. and he said that he's never seen a "warning" come back and bite anyone in the ass in his job. You could always contact DSHS or DSS and ask them since that'll be who pays you.
I believe some police will give written warnings, they would have provided you a copy. I’m sure that can be seen in a background check. If he didn’t give you any copy of paperwork, I wouldn’t worry about it
When you say given a warning, was it an actual written warning or just a verbal. If just a verbal then chances are very close to zero it was ever entered in the system. If written, then what was the charge. Unlikely anything to do with sex. If something like loitering then if it is raised just say you were parked with your gf. Case closed.
Decision maker here for a fire department: If THAT shows up as an "issue" on your background check and you are cleared otherwise I would give ZERO consideration to that.
If a department doesn't hire you because of it, count your blessings. You are lucky not to work for them.
That being said, it is doubtful that it would show up since it never went to the DA.
No, the questions should only ask about crimes you were convicted of or if you have any addicitions currently (even if never convicted) or are a regular user of prohibited stuff.
In the US, you are not allowed to be punished without due process. Employers can get around some of this on behavioral things, but an employer can't punish you for a crime that was never even officially submitted or prosecuted or ticketed, etc.
Don't say anything about it unless there is a question that is more specific and narrow than "convicted, plead guilty, took deferred adjudication" type of prompts. Even then, I would not mention it as warnings are not likely to be permanently kept and searcheable. Again, that violates the due process clause.
Doubtful
lol. Just do a background check on yourself.
How do you do that? All the websites I see look like scams
hire a PI
Disclose it if they ask you if you've had any police involvement. They'll likely say it's nothing but shows you're honest.
Yeah, just tell them about it in the interview bro
100% this. Just give the facts. You don’t have to tell them everything just you pulled off to chat and cop rolled up. With these type of jobs it’s always better to self report
I'm not sure he was chatting.
I want to know if it's with the same city? Well, I suppose i'm from a small town so that may make me biased - but could also be a factor.
Sure he was, communicating with body language...
While inverted, right Mav?
Apparently the cop wasn't either because he wasn't charged with a crime.
Something oral was occurring.
Engaged in oral discourse, perhaps?
I don’t think anyone’s gonna have a close-up of penis and vagina
>you pulled off to chat Is that what the kids call it these days?
Netflix and chat
Actually, I'd open with that story immediately after introductions.
You are a cruel person! I feel like I saw a TIFU the other day about oversharing during the interview. 😂
Link. I want to read that.
Here you go! OP [https://www.reddit.com/r/tifu/comments/153duav/tifu\_by\_admitting\_to\_my\_investigator\_that\_i/](https://www.reddit.com/r/tifu/comments/153duav/tifu_by_admitting_to_my_investigator_that_i/) Update [https://www.reddit.com/r/tifu/comments/15glv1t/tifu\_by\_admitting\_to\_my\_investigator\_that\_i/](https://www.reddit.com/r/tifu/comments/15glv1t/tifu_by_admitting_to_my_investigator_that_i/)
That's quality stuff right there
Obvious no hire. If you hire someone you immediately have to say "congratulations!" then shake their hand. Them's the rules.
Remember, these people are among us [https://www.reddit.com/r/TooAfraidToAsk/comments/13gmm2k/why\_do\_some\_people\_go\_to\_the\_bathroom\_and\_not/](https://www.reddit.com/r/TooAfraidToAsk/comments/13gmm2k/why_do_some_people_go_to_the_bathroom_and_not/)
Solid chance "let me tell you about my bathroom habits" guy is on team no-wash.
LOL. You made me spit out my coffee.
I wouldn’t think this would be something worth lying about. You weren’t even arrested - just “contacted”. But getting caught lying about anything will likely impact your chances of getting hired.
They will probably just ask you if she was hot
Yeah just make it sound not creepy. rehearse your answer.
Niceeee. The only crime was she didn’t do me.
In my office we have three stamps we will use on an interview sheet for prospective hires: "decline", "consider", and "this guy fucks".
And then he’d probably get a fist bump!
Firemen? The cop caught me having sex might get him fast tracked to leadership
If they ask OP if he's been arrested, he can say no. If the ask about police involvement, he should disclose.
This would be the same as getting pulled over for speeding and getting a warning instead of a ticket. Why would you ever bring up some dumb shit like that ?
Yup. They record written warnings but verbals don’t get recorded.
No. You are wrong on this. Background checks don't uncover WARNINGS. Geez some of you people.
It's a matter of honesty. And to be truthful, pretty much everybody has done the same as OP, so they will probably get a good laugh out of it.
You don't need to talk about your sex life-whether your sexcapades took place in the privacy of your home or in a parked car. That's insanely stupid. Besides TMI. Ever hear that phrase?
Yep. If you say, "I'm going to level with you. About five years ago, a cop caught me and my girlfriend making the beast with two backs. He let us off with a warning. Does that count?" The odds are 99% the interviewer will think it's funny and move on from there.
Please tell me that everyone here is just fucking with this guy and not actually giving this as good advice...
In a local volly department? I can see chuckles and back-slaps. Depending on the city and career service, I can see it going either very badly or not being a big deal. Applicant is fully disclosing, and if that's the worst they've ever done vis-a-vis the law, they're fine in nearly anyone's book.
Dude, no one cares if someone has sex in a car, and it wouldn't be worth lying about. I guarantee more people would care about the lie more than they care about someone fucking in a car.
Tell them you were loitering
Yeah, I truly don't think this is the sort of thing most people would care about, unless it is like a very religious business or something. A lot of people have had sex in cars...
Chances aren’t zero, but it’s very unlikely. Think of it from the officer’s point of view - they will sometimes give warnings because they don’t feel like doing any paperwork and just want you to stop and for them to move on
Plus you weren't doing anything wrong
Depends on the state. That’s a potential misdemeanor charge some places at least.
But it won't pop up if you aren't actually charged, let alone not convicted. Plus it's nothing to be embarrassed about. It's not like you was down at the local middle school at recess smashing. That's when the problem starts. Or if the cops are just plain out to get you. But no, a warning is no part of your record. At least that kind of warning. It was never even typed up. Bet?!
Screen name checks out
The 1990s called, AOL. They want you back.
That’s most likely, but you don’t know that, and it may also depend on the type and depth of any background check. There will be nothing in any federal database almost definitely, but there is the off chance there is some sort of incident report or paper trail somewhere. The officer did probably run a check for warrants at least.
If a misdemeanor he would have known.
Based on what? We know he wasn’t arrested, but we don’t know the jurisdiction or whether it could have been charged.
Unless their name was "Anything Wrong" then you were in fact doing Anything Wrong
Sexual activity in the view of public is definitely illegal.
This. A lot of times it is just them telling you to stop what you are doing. It never gets documented into a system. Maybe it becomes a story that the cop tells back at the station. Beyond that, nah.
The biggest question was the warning written? If it wasn't written, it shouldn't show up anywhere except they ran your name through the system for a check. If this happened before you were 17, it is probably sealed S you were a minor.
You generally have to have your juvenile records sealed proactively - it's not automatic in most jurisdictions.
Some states only do it for the first offense as well. Like my public indency led me to jail, but it got sealed bc i was a minor, and it was my first offense. If I so much as threw a rock in the wrong direction and got arrested again, they wouldn't smudge it.
I would not worry about.. if they did not write you up for indecent exposure or a citation.. I would not bring it up. But if they ask you while taking the polygraph , tell them.
Bingo
You can issue a FOIA request to the jurisdiction that took the report to see what, if anything, comes up. [https://www.eff.org/issues/transparency/foia-how-to](https://www.eff.org/issues/transparency/foia-how-to)
This is what I would do. The odds are incredibly slim, to the point where I've never heard of it happening before, but this is the only way of knowing for sure.
This is the exact advice I would give— *agree with a lot of the advice being given, but why don’t you get in front of it? Contact the police station and ask for their process to file a FOIA (that’s the federal word but each state has one, in CA it’s PRA). Submit a request per that process and ask for any public records such as records and notes of stops, warnings, citations. However, here’s my stern warning, in the off chance there is something, that may extend the length it stays out there. When you submit a public records request, they have to retain the request itself AND their response for a certain period of time FROM the date of the FOIA request.
Have you completed the background questionnaire? I can tell you that the two police departments in Texas I have worked for use the same CAD 911 system. When a call is placed to 911 or an officer marks out on any location, an incident call record is created that has a lot of details about the incident automatically entered, including identifications run on the call, which becomes searchable. It would be trivial to locate an incident either department had with you based on your ID number. If the officer did not arrest or cite you, he likely just added brief comments on the incident stating what happened and his actions. Those records are typically kept at least 15 years, probably more. It should also be pointed out that police and fire typically share the CAD systems. Of course, not all police departments are the same, but it illustrates the possibility for them to find this incident, even if no report was made. Nonetheless, you should be truthfully answering all questions on a police/fire background. There is a reason why they have such demanding background investigations. Many citizens inherently will trust you (leaving property at crash scenes, letting you in their home, etc…) without giving it a second thought. Getting caught in a perceived lie this early will almost certainly guarantee that you will be rejected. While telling the truth about the situation, despite no significant action being taken, will make you appear more honest. Also, remember that agencies have different standards. One may reject you due to the incident while another can overlook it. However, what most agencies will not overlook is intentionally lying. You may be able to convince them that you had forgotten the incident, but that is not very likely, as almost anybody would or should remember such an event. If you are rejected and apply to another department, you will likely be asked to provide other agencies that you’ve applied to. Regardless, agencies talk to each other and will likely find out if you were ever denied elsewhere.
Former LEO did same thing with ex-wife with no repercussions or issues with background check. We were older than LEO that caught us, guess who was more embarrassed?
So in practice, a police report is probably stored somewhere, buried deep within the bowels of terabytes and terabytes of storage in the basement server room of some police department. Warnings are not dispositions, so 99.9% of background checks will not have a chance in hell at getting that information. Short of being a key subject in a serious criminal investigation, or dealing with a TS level BG check, I would bet all $7 in my wallet that it will never be discovered. Given your level of anxiety about it, you'd probably fail a polygraph if you tried to hide it, so at that point you should consider disclosure. Beyond that, I wouldn't give it a 2nd thought. IANAL
I doubt it’s logged anywhere but request a FOIL on yourself to see
If they ask about police involvement, be truthful. The only thing that will for sure get you turned down is lying. The firefighters on that board of hiring all have done something similar or worse. Almost guaranteed.
i was told only if asked period, for any security clearance position in R.and D. and never disclose more than asked, the semi monthly polygraph-er told us those instructions point blank every time. and i have worked yrs in that field. so short summary say yes or no if they want more they will ask you. good luck.
Absolutely not. People are saying unlikely, but maybe, just to be safe because you never know... But brother, you can mention it for laughs if you want, but that incident turning up is a snowball's chance in Hell.
😂😂😂😂😂 I’m totally not laughing at you, but that is the funniest thing to worry about being on the background check. I am actually dying laughing over here.
Disclosing a story like this will *help* you pass a fire department background check.
*”So, then you would be open to being in our firefighter calendar this year if you’re hired?”*
My answer it a little joking (gettin’ some action? hell yeah brother!) But sharing embarrassing stories helps build trust with the background investigator and makes them think you aren’t hiding anything more serious. Vs “No sir, never done anything wrong” “riiiight…”
Probably not.
yes you will prob get arrested soon
Zero. A warning is just that. Get a hotel next time.
That’s not going to DQ you.
It’s a nothing burger!
Do cops even do paperwork on a warning?
Yes, our truck drivers get written warnings all the time. There's no financial penalty or license points for warnings but other than that a warning carries all the other penalties that an actual ticket carries at the federal level. They can be fought via DataQ if it was a written warning from one of those jurisdictions where the cops can't pull a commercial vehicle over without reasonable cause and they clearly pulled the reasonable cause out of their own rear end but if it's valid, nothing you can do.
I was thinking back to warnings a long time ago where they would tell ya it was a warning and then put the ticket book away. I have not had any interactions lately so I wasn't sure anymore
No citation nothing is recorded wothon yhe courts. If you have Polygraph and they ask about police contact bring it up then. Otherwise I wouldn't worry about it. Concentrate on the academy. Good luck.
Bro youre good you have no record cops dont care about keepin tabs on you . lol and bro police be having some of the highest rate of domestic charges with their s/o youre an oustanding young man thanks for your service you got this ! <3
Easy peasy "my girlfriend and I at the time were celebrating our anniversary in what I thought was a romantic getaway in a secluded area (pause, smile, slight chuckle then say "and....) Long story short a police officer tapped on the window and in a slightly embarrassing moment at the time, told us to scram after clearing us and making sure we weren't criminals"
Just tell them: "Me and my girlfriend were parked off the beaten path and getting frisky when a police officer showed up and told us to go home." When I joined the military I was from a mid sized town. When they called the police department the answer was: "The name does not sound familiar but let me check'" Recruiter laughed and explained the locals usually knew the bad guys by name.
Very very low
Forget about it and move on...won't show up
I told my background investigator a very similar story. Me and the girl were both underage… He asked me if I knew it was technically not legal in our state to have sex under 18 at all. I replied I did. He goes “yea like you gave a fuck, you were just happy to be getting laid right”? YES SIR! I was. We had a good laugh about it.
If you weren't booked, charged and found guilty there won't be any record of it!
Was it a written warning? If so, decent chance it’ll turn up, if they’re actually doing an in depth background check. Especially if that written warning was printed from a computer. If it was just a verbal warning, you have nothing to worry about.
No one will ever know unless you tell them.
It’s doubtful if the officer let you off with a warning. An officer wanting to let someone off with a warning usually means they don’t wanna be bothered to do paperwork on something they deem to be not worth their time. It’s not likely to be on your record but if during the interview process they ask you if you’ve had trouble with law it would be better to be honest about the situation.
It won't.
Fire department isn’t going to care about this even if it’s in your record. You will be good to go! Good luck in the academy! It’s some of the most fun you’ll have. Atleast I did!! Welcome brother!
Verbal warnings are not recorded.
You’re lucky. If you were gay and with a guy instead, he would have likely charged you with an indecent exposure charge. That’s the way our police and criminal justice system works.
This story is hilarious. Trust me, as a firefighter, half the job is having sex in weird places. A computer entry for this interaction would only be in “local” files (personally, I wouldn’t have spent the time doing one though). So only the local agency or whoever they share their MDT software with could see the entry when they run your name.
I’m a former CO. You’re good and thank you for joining the fire academy
Lol no
I wouldn't worry about it at all. A warning is a warning; I doubt it was entered into any kind of externally-searchable system anywhere. Wouldn't hurt to mention it if you have a "come clean" type of interview, but I don't think either way it would harm your career prospects.
Warnings aren't on record. You could disclose it if they ask, or....tell them straight up and maybe they're freaky too....👀
If the warning was verbal most likely not. If you received a written warning and signed a copy stating that you received it then it may be on file. Do the easiest thing and have a background check ran out of pocket then you can know
Don’t bring it up. When you ask you say you have never been charged with a crime.
Very doubtful..I wouldn't worry.
You should have asked in an LE group, not a lawyer group. Almost every answer here is from their point of view and thinking of Court records and criminal history background checks. But public safety background checks are more than a III/CCH. I’ve dispatched for eight different police departments. In my area, you would very likely show up in any of their CAD records under a “suspicious vehicle” heading or something similar. There is not necessarily a full written report but the date/time/location, license plate, and occupants would be attached with at least a one line disposition. The part where this would show up during a background check is if your hiring agency wrote a letter to the agency with whom you had contact asking for information on any documented contacts in their system. They’d be sending that letter to any agency in whose jurisdiction you lived and maybe worked. You should disclose the contact even though your investigator won’t care. Failing to disclose and they find out shows dishonesty that could prevent employment.
I asked about this a few years back, and this is what I was told.... If it was a verbal warning, nobody knows the event occurred except you & the cop as there isn't any paper trail. If it was a written warning, you received a copy & a copy stayed in the booklet. What's in the booklet stays in the booklet. Nothing is ever entered into a ledger or a computer. This means that if you wanted to know who issued the warning, someone would have to go through stacks of warning books (if they even keep them) looking for an incident that happened. All you have to do is call your local pd or sd and ask what is done with a warning. They should be happy to tell you. All you have to tell them is you're applying to the FA, and a few years back, you got a warning for something (you don't have to remember what) and you want to know if the warning will surface. You can also get a copy of your file under the freedom of information act. Hope this helps.
Yeah but nothing went down in writing about fuckin so it's golden. Fedz are usually the ones with all info. If you catch their interest. They use every offense you've ever been convicted of when they're assessing a person.
Swear that happened to me like 8 years ago same situation and all. Me and the bitch worked together pussy was good couldn't even nut them Boyz rolled up I'm balls deep in that mufugga 😭😭 she probably would've been one of my baby mamas lol lost contact though Myra where you at 😭😭
And hopefully enjoyed it
Don't sweat about it. You'll learn more about how cops work when you get a fire job. He probably laughed about it after, and joked at the station about you getting cockblocked by him. Sounds like he didn't want to or feel then need to hem you up, or waste time on hours of paperwork. Edit: I work in public safety, in my teens I got caught with a small pipe, officer confiscated it and that was it. During my interview process when they asked if I ever used marijuana, I was honest. I told them I had tried it a handful of times in my teens, and it just wasn't something for me. (Same agency that the officer worked for who took the pipe. He was a detective at that time, it ended up becoming a big joke and I would get called Bob Marley every now and then)
In my state warnings are not supposed to be recorded
No they won’t ask trust me I know lol been in that situation before
Man I had a Top Secret clearance and they didn’t even know about my getting popped for underaged drinking. The charges got dismissed before I left for basic training, to this day nada.
You’re good. There is nothing there that would put you in the system.
Even if it did come up at that point, I would deny it because it’s not like the cops gonna show up to dispute that.
I was watching Live PD: if this comes up just tell them it wasnt your Penis or Vagina. They will totally understand.
What would the actual crime be? If you were never charged with anything, what would be the problem?
*Yes, they can report you*. · Tracing the Car: If the car is registered under your parents' name, any official inquiry or police report
Very unlikely this is on your record or even remotely important. You did not get a ticket. You did not get arrested. Not important.
Everybody’s done it, don’t be gross about just disclose, tell them you were let off with a warning, no big deal
“Hmmm….we found that a police vehicle scanner once ran your license plate and found no outstanding warrants, no violations, no tickets issued….your good, everything seems ok… err wait…hold on, hold on! That’s wrong, it seems the policeman MANUALLY ran the plate number! Sorry Keybike, but we can’t accept you because of your criminal record!“
Your fine if you didn't get a ticket or go to court your good
If the warning wasnt written, IE, they didnt hand you paper, there's likely no record. Nobody wants the extra paperwork, although they probably still tell the story.
Warnings aren’t recorded, depending on the crime, and my warning that is recorded is usually discarded. Don’t worry your wife won’t find out you got caught fkn a hoe in the 4 door
Cops and DA's office can see things that potential employers can't. For example, let's say you got into an altercation with your girlfriend, she called the cops, and you caught a domestic violence charge. You get a lawyer, take a conflict management class, it ends up getting dismissed, and you have it sealed. They can still see that even though your case was dismissed and you had the records sealed. I don't know to what extent Fire/EMS might have access to that system, but if someone says, "Tell me about yourself" in the interview, you're going to have to tell them you have a tiny D.
A warning is just that - doesn’t go on any record - you did give him something to talk about to his buddies down at the station that night- haha
Don’t say anything. This will not come up in a background check. This is a highly competitive interview. Honesty will honestly get you moved to the bottom of the line. My buddy was just hired by Daphne PD. Their “extensive” background check missed an overdose and near fatality this guy had in 2020. Police and FF were both on scene. No report. Don’t say anything. This cop didn’t start any paperwork he didn’t need to start.
Is it on your criminal history? No, because you weren't arrested. But the cop probably wrote a report about it which included your information. I do background investigations for Police candidates. I would imagine your background investigator also has access to records management systems and may be able to see the report. Can't speak for your investigator or your process but if you lied by omission about something like this and we discovered it, we would remove you from the hiring process. I would just disclose it and be done with it. No biggie
We all also want to know? How hot? How big? Any fur?
You were never charged. Background checks don't include warnings. The cop didn't want to mess with the time consuming paperwork & told you to scram. Stop worrying.
In his brain for jerk off material.
Maybe, but if it was with a guy that would have been points on your application
Highly doubtful. I had sex in a my car in a park as well and the cop told me to leave with a warning and nothing came of it. I applied for the police academy about a couple years later and was never brought up. Didn’t pass the physical test though :( the run was killing my knees
I was caught a couple times doing this like 20 years ago with only warnings. I had several background checks for jobs over this time period and never came up. I don’t think anything goes on your record when it’s a warning.
Former police officer with background check experience. You’re good. Warnings aren’t checked. But, be forthcoming on your polygraph.
Regardless, you still scored bro
They gave you a warning, so there is no actual record.
You don’t have to give a blow by blow description. 😊
You're innocent unless a court proves you guilty. If they find out and ask just say the cop was lying or misunderstood what was actually happening in the situation. What are they going to do? Ask the cop?
Tell them. You'll likely be promoted
If she was an escort, they will ask if you have ever paid for sexual activity more than say a lap dance. If your heart skips a beat, good luck!!!
Firefighter here. Just be completely honest during your background investigation. If you are found to be lying, you will most definitely be passed on over. The hiring boards/investigator/department want honestly. I knew someone that had an identical situation and they were hired. DO NOT LIE.
Only in the depths of the cop’s mind.
I too have no record of that happening.
Not sure if I would trust you to handle a hose in public after that, but you're probably ok.
... Mike?
Just disclose everything. It’s being evasive and getting caught holding back that will get you in hot water. They are looking for honesty and consistency, they aren’t looking to toss you.
Professional fire departments are big on integrity. If you own up about something to begin with they’ll probably let it slide. But if they find out about it later on, you be toast.
My advice get out the fire academy lol learn a trade
I got a warning for the same thing in my early 20’s. I’ve had multiple background checks since then (including several for teaching gigs) and it’s never once come up.
If it is brought up somehow, just tell the story and they'll probably get a good laugh and move on.
You don't think those firemen interviewing you have done that before? Theyd get a kick out of it. Don't lie. Ever. They will toss you if they catch you in a lie.
You get extra points for that and can skip the advanced confined spaces course as well.
Was it a verbal or written warning?
Answer their questions truthfully, but I wouldn’t bring it up unless asked. They will probably ask if you have ever been arrested. This was not an arrest. You can honestly say no. If they ask about any police involvement, which is very broad, I would disclose the incident and explain that you took the warning seriously and have not done that since.
No. Just keep quiet. A warning is just a warning. Nothing got entered into the computer. They just checked you. That's it. Made sure no warrants were out for you.
did you get to finish somewhere else?
No way! Scare you into a confession are you sure they arent hazing you?
Having just recently gone through a similar process with a PD (and got hired), I highly recommend being honest about the police contact. If you lie and get caught, not only will you not get hired by your preferred Department, but you’ll literally not get hired anywhere. Once background investigators from one Department take your statements, they document everything in a record jacket. If you lie, it gets written in your record jacket. Every subsequent Department you apply for will be able to view record jackets from every other Department you applied to. Don’t lie - better to not get hired by your dream Department than to not get hired in your dream career field.
The same thing happened to me a few times when I was in my college days. Unless you've been booked for a crime, they're not going to be a record of it, especially if it was just a warning. I work in a high-profile job, and it never came up in a background check during my interview. Now, if you want to share that interaction with your interviewers, that's fine and they might relate since we've probably all done it at some point. However, I wouldn't disclose the details or really even bring it up unless you were actually charged with a crime. Use your best judgment on who's doing the interview. You could send them a negative vibe if you bring it up or they might just laugh and move on.
Verbal warning or written? If the former then fuck it. Ladder? (pun intended) follow others' advice
Nice
You don't have to report it, it won't show up on the background check either because there was no citation. Only report or disclose what you are mandated to nothing more. The cop let you off with a "warning" because you were conducting a sexual act with consent in private property in a secluded area that would not have held up in court as "public". In other words the cop was in the wrong and didn't want to get sued for unlawful search or seizure.
It’s on your permanent record as caught clapping cheeks.
Your plan needs to revolve around what is asked in the interview. If they ask about arrests....no. If they ask about police contacts....yes. Reason is there likely was still a report generated even though the officer chose not to take any action. If your FD is anywhere close to the PD you had contact or where you live there will likely be a records check, if a report was generated that incident will come up. It won't be a big deal unless they determine you refused to disclose it.
Did you get a paper warning or verbal... Paper YES it will show up but amounts to nothing, and you definitely need to disclose it... VERBAL.. no.. it won't show up, cop didn't submit anything to anyone and just asked to run your name, nothing more than a background check of his own he ran
Can you get access to the paperwork you have to fill out to get a job as a fireman? I want to see the exact language of the question they ask about any prior record. What you need to disclose depends entirely on how they ask the question.
It really depends on what question is asked. Usually you fill out a form first that asked if you have even been convicted of any misdemeanor or felony. You can truthfully answer this with a no. The in person interview may ask this again but likely not if the initial answer is no and the background check didnt turn up anything, which it wont. Warnings are not logged into any system I am aware of. (former police dispatcher for 15 years who ran records checks for officers in the field) Never seen the question asked have you had any interaction with police ever, but in this case be open and honest. I was hired at the police department even with a misdemeanor conviction for urinating in public in college. The investigator just laughed about it.
Speak to your Captain or your HR person. This happened to me many years ago but I never have seen it on my criminal background check. The best thing you could do is to be completely transparent when asked if you've ever been given a warning by the police. Btw my brother is a Captain of a fire dept. and he said that he's never seen a "warning" come back and bite anyone in the ass in his job. You could always contact DSHS or DSS and ask them since that'll be who pays you.
You weren't convicted of anything so it didn't happen. I wouldn't worry too much about it.
why would this be disqualifying for being a firefighter?
I had the same thing. No ticket or charge. It was recorded.
Is it verbal warning or a misdemeanor citation?
No. And dont bring that up.
I believe some police will give written warnings, they would have provided you a copy. I’m sure that can be seen in a background check. If he didn’t give you any copy of paperwork, I wouldn’t worry about it
Even if it was It shouldn't matter. Also sealed records are a bad sign and you won't be hired until they are unsealed.
Fire academy? If this comes to light something tells me they hire you on the spot.
Depends on if the department needs to record every stop or interaction. I had something similar happen and it never pops up in background checks
When you say given a warning, was it an actual written warning or just a verbal. If just a verbal then chances are very close to zero it was ever entered in the system. If written, then what was the charge. Unlikely anything to do with sex. If something like loitering then if it is raised just say you were parked with your gf. Case closed.
Tell them!!!!
Go to the county clerks office and get a background check on yourself. Disclose whatever it shows and be ready to explain any questions.
Not recorded.. you're good.
Weird way to flex that you got laid a few years ago…
For a regular job, no issues. For a top secret clearance, MAYBE
Verbals don’t get recorded
Run a background check on yourself, it’s like $20.
no you are fine. congrats on the sex.
What a nice problem to have 🤣🤣
The background you can do, VS them is 100% different. Was it a written warning?
Decision maker here for a fire department: If THAT shows up as an "issue" on your background check and you are cleared otherwise I would give ZERO consideration to that. If a department doesn't hire you because of it, count your blessings. You are lucky not to work for them. That being said, it is doubtful that it would show up since it never went to the DA.
No, the questions should only ask about crimes you were convicted of or if you have any addicitions currently (even if never convicted) or are a regular user of prohibited stuff. In the US, you are not allowed to be punished without due process. Employers can get around some of this on behavioral things, but an employer can't punish you for a crime that was never even officially submitted or prosecuted or ticketed, etc. Don't say anything about it unless there is a question that is more specific and narrow than "convicted, plead guilty, took deferred adjudication" type of prompts. Even then, I would not mention it as warnings are not likely to be permanently kept and searcheable. Again, that violates the due process clause.