Will 3 speeding tickets effect me getting a position as a city police officer?

Not unless it’s a pretty awful department! And if it is, please let me know where it is so I can avoid ever driving there. :-)

I highly doubt it. But keep in mind, each department has it’s own “ways”. Some are incredibly strict (rare), some need people so bad you can get away with alot (SFPD).

If you’re a stand up dude, you should be fine. Just stay out of trouble until you become 21. And if you’re not activity involved in a local PD’s explorer program, it’s a great way to get extremely valuable experience before the academy, as well as letters of recommendation from active officers once you’re looking for a department.

Some departments even sponsor explore cadets they like, which is a great deal.

when I interviewed with the CHP, one of the panel asked me “Is this a case of you can’t beat us so you want to join us?” (I was 1 point from suspension)
in other words, it shouldn’t outright disqualify you, however, the topic will arise sooner or later and you have to give thought to how you will answer
by the way, I passed the interview but failed the physical due to poor eyesight :(

For 10 MPH over the speed limit? Does no one have common sense any more?

I mean, get real, please, people. 10 MPH over is not an act of stupidity. 10 MPH over the limit is what most people drive quite frequently in many common and utterly safe situations. Police ticketing people for 10 MPH over the limit is the wrong stupidity.

10 mph CAN be an act of stupidity depending on the location, driving conditions, and circumstances. regardless of those, when you exceed the “limit”, you break the law. when you break the law, it isn’t a matter of degree—it’s either broke or it isn’t. if it’s broken, you get a ticket or other punitive measures are exercised. if you break the law intentionally and repeatedly, some people might opine that you must not have a high degree of regard for it (or believe that you know better and it does not apply to you) and thus the question will arise “if you don’t respect the law, why do you want to represent it?” think about that question and have your answer ready if you still want to pursue this goal. and for heavens sake, drive more sensibly between now & then :-)

@glosski: That kind of argument is a good example of why I would never want to represent the law. In many, many, many places, the posted speed limit is not the natural safe driving speed, people routinely drive in those places at 10 over the limit causing no one any problem because they are experienced drivers and are responsibly paying more attention to the road and traffic than to speed signs. The overwhelming majority of them do not get tickets or “other punitive measures” for this.

@Zaku

There’s the letter of the law and there’s the spirit of the law. It’s the officer’s discretion to enforce laws based on these to principals using their best judgment.

I’d 90% of the time, that system works. And for the 10% that it fails, there’s a courtroom where it can be settled.

In any case, there’s alot of circumstance we know nothing about in relation to mountainstatejoe’s citations. With that said, there’s really nothing to can say about it unless you have the facts.

All in all, it may not be a perfect system, but it’s the best that we have, and possibly the best median possible. To me it just sounds like you have an axe to grind with law enforcement over who knows what.

mountainstatejoe as glosski mentioned it will come up in the process.

You know the details involving your tickets these are some things to consider. If Traffic school is offered in your area, it would have removed one ticket, so either you had 4 or chose not to go. They may assume you went. Many officers will write the ticket for only 10 MPH over, even if it was 20, since they know it’s a steeper penalty and worse offense, in order to give you a break. If you actually were only 10 MPH over then you probably were making significant lane changes to attract the officer’s attention. Maybe you’re just very unlucky getting 3 tickets in 3 years from over zealous officers. Since you labeled them as acts of stupidity, I assume you know why you got the tickets and the circumstances involved. As glosski mentioned you should have a statement prepared when asked about it, that conveys your new found maturity and why it’s no longer part of your character.

And if you ever pull ZAKU over, would you give him a break and not write the ticket. Thanks. : )

@Spargett: Thanks for pointing out I was coming across as having an axe to grind with law enforcement. In fact I have had what seems like more than my share of pointless 10 mph over the limit tickets (one was just dismissed in court last month). I do care about the issue, but it’s not personal. I don’t have any issue with officers in general, just the practice of causing hazards and ticketing people for safe driving that technically breaks the law.

It’s about liberty and freedom from tyranny. Looks to me like a breakdown of Separation of Powers. I agree that officers have some discretion and that the courts are a recourse. But in local (and I suppose, most) jurisdictions, the legislature passed laws that prohibit the judges from considering many defenses to speeding infractions. Tickets are also a revenue source (in some areas, a major source).

On the executive end, officers could be trained and instructed to only give out speeding tickets for a reason such as when they have an actual safety concern or other reason for pulling over a technical offender. Instead, they (some of the traffic squads, at least) are directed and trained to hide in ambush with radar guns and go after technical offenders when they haven’t even seen the circumstances because they’ve been hiding out of view around a corner.

It depends on how long between each speeding ticket and how long ago between the tickets and your interview. No one is perfect and agencies know that. If you’ve shown that you have changed in yours ways than you should be fine. It’s not the crime of the century and most everyone has gotten at least one ticket in their life.

A speeding violation is not even a misdemeanor in some municipalities, i dont believe you will have a problem. However if it comes down to hiring you or Mr. Squeaky Clean you might have a disadvantage, try to show the “powers that be” that you tried to rectify the situation by going to a safe driving class, or doing some community service volunteering and of course try your best not to get any more infractions.