Police Department

Step 6: Background Investigation

The Long Beach Police Department conducts an extensive and comprehensive background investigation on police recruit applicants in compliance with the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST). In addition to the psychological and polygraph screening, other areas that will be investigated as part of the background investigation include:

• Personal: name, aliases, birth date, social security number, tattoos, citizenship, etc. Relatives and acquaintances will be contacted regarding your suitability to be a police officer

• Education: high school, college, trade school, and any other sources of diplomas, certificates and degrees, received or in progress, will be verified through sealed official transcripts

• Residences: residences for the last 10 years will be verified

• Employment: all employment history, including part time and voluntary jobs, will be verified and inquiries will be made with current and past employers and co-workers

• Military Service: registration with the Selection Service System will be verified. Military service records will be evaluated, if applicable

• Financial: inquiries relative to responsibility, dependability, maturity, and liability as these related to meeting financial obligations will be evaluated. You will be required to submit a sealed Experian® credit profile as part of your required documentation

• Legal: criminal inquiries will be made at the local, state, national, and if necessary, international level. Investigation will be made into all possible and actual criminal conduct. Arrests and convictions will be evaluated on a case by case basis (a misdemeanor conviction in and of itself is not necessarily a disqualifying factor)

• Motor Vehicle Operation: behavior as it relates to driving ability and judgment will be reviewed, as well as, verification of required automobile insurance

SELECTION STANDARDS

POST sets the minimum standards for peace officers in California. POST guidelines provide the following five (5) major categories that are considered during the hiring process:

1. Moral Character: integrity, impulse control, attention to safety, substance abuse and other risk taking behavior

2. Handling Stress and Adversity: stress tolerance as well as confronting and overcoming
   problems, obstacles, and adversity

3. Work Habits: conscientiousness, dependability, and attention to detail
4. Interactions with Others: interpersonal skills and teamwork

5. Intellectually-Based Abilities: decision making and judgment, learning ability, and
   communication skills

For further information, visit the POST website.

Learn about Step 7 »