Just thought I'd ask....  (sorry this post is a bit lengthy)

I have recently applied for a position with a major metropolitan police department.  My past is virtually flawless.  I have been employed in the financial services industry for some time now, and am looking to make a career change.  No history of drugs, violence, or sex offenses, and no arrests in my past (my current job required some form of background check, though I doubt it was as involved).

ANYWAY, I am waiting for a date for my polygraph at this time, and have already completed the background information form...  On the form it asked if you had EVER been involved in shoplifting at any point in your life....

Although this isn't anything I ever made a habit of, as a child I did once take a candy bar from a store on a dare.  Because I want to be truthful about everything I admitted this on the background form and explained the circumstances of the incident.  (I wasn't caught, it was a one time incident, and I was about 10 years old at the time).  I am now 26 and hold a 4 year degree and have been continuously employed...  Obviously I don't support this behavior, it was just an immature childish thing that occured when I was a kid.

Can someone tell me if this is something to be concerned about, or am I just worrying too much? 


Thanks for the help!

polyquestions wrote on Jan 26^th, 2005 at 10:20am:


You are indeed worrying too much about this incident. No police department would disqualify an applicant on such grounds.

Before your polygraph examination, it would be prudent to educate yourself about polygraphy. Applicants like yourself, who are conscientious enough to wonder whether such a petty childhood shoplifting incident would be disqualifying, are at a distinct disadvantage, as polygraph procedure is predicated on the assumption that everyone will lie in response to the "probable-lie control questions." See The Lie Behind the Lie Detector for a detailed explanation.