Bad credit hinders police applicants www.privateofficer.com

GREENVILLE, S.C.Aug 11 2010
Credit background checks are an important part of the police recruiting process at law enforcement agencies across the country. But Greenville Police Chief Terri Wilfong said finding recruits with good credit has become more difficult in recent years.

“A lot of people think, ‘Oh, you have (recruiting) problems because of drugs.’ No, it’s because of finances,” Wilfong told News 4′s Tim Waller.

The Greenville Police Department is currently trying to fill 12 police officer vacancies. But officials said an increasing number of applicants are unable to pass the credit background check.

“A lot of these young kids, young adults, they get these credit cards, and they don’t pay them on time, or they forget, or whatever the case may be, and they get into financial difficulty, and we cannot hire an individual whose financial status is bad,” Wilfong said.

Wilfong said credit histories are important in police-hiring because they reflect an applicant’s ability to manage not only themselves, but also those they are sworn to protect. She said substandard credit histories, coupled with the fact that fewer young people are pursuing law enforcement careers, has made the recruiting process more difficult.

“I mean, you have to give up a lot of family time. You have to work weekends. You have to work holidays. We have special events, and it’s tough,” she said.