hello members,
i have wanted to be in law enforcement for years, and have been attending college for the last 2 years. i am 20 years old and i am honestly getting burned out on school. i have been majoring in criminal justice but do not have a degree, what do you think the likelihood is of me getting a job at a local police dept. here in Tennessee? can you get the job if you are under 21? also i have been arrested for underage consumption and underage driving while impaired but both have been cleared of my record and my lawyer told me that i was not convicted. will this effect my chances?

You should probably try to continue with school. Maybe consider attending part-time. I don't know of any police departments in Tennessee that will hire you before you turn 21. I know of a couple that you can apply with a couple months before you turn 21. Many police departments in Tennessee only require a high school diploma or GED or sixty college credits. Your charges won't help you, but you could still be hired, especially if you were not convicted. The charges will still probably affect your chances. Be patient, continue with college, and earn a four year degree before you apply. Finishing your degree will make you a better candidate, and it would put more time between when you were charged and when you apply for police officer positions. Keep a positive attitude, and keep us posted.

well i am going to finish my school but i would like to already be working and just finish my degree while working. might you recomend working in corrections untill i am 21?

you are saying that my previous charges will effect me even though i was not convicted?

also i have recently signed up for the local explorers program. is this a good program and are there any other programs that you know of that would be usefull?

Your previous charges might not prevent you from getting hired, but yes they could still affect your chances even though you were not convicted. Signing up for your local police explorers program was a good idea. You could try to get an internship with a police department or sheriff's office or department. Doing volunteer work can also boost a resume. For example, you could volunteer a few hours a week with a humane society or Big Brothers Big Sisters.