Eligibility to join the police - sibling record

[Joust99]

Hi all,

My step daughter has her set on joining the police when she turns 18 and has finished her A levels, however, her older brother is currently sailing very close to getting arrested and a subsequent record.

We have heard anecdotally that a sibling with a record renders an application ineligible- can anyone with direct police knowledge confirm or otherwise what the criteria is?

Cheers

Joust

[Countdown]

Not automatically.

It depends on the nature of the offence and the potential impact on the applicant.

for example if her stepbrother was Capo di tutti capi with known history of corrupting Police Officers it's probably going to have a bigger impact than if he was done for driving at 34mph in a 30.

[Joust99]

More likely to be either criminal damage or ABH….she’s still 3 years out from applying.

[Terzo123]

It's very much a case of, you can choose your friends, but you can't choose your family.

If you disclose the issues, are open and transparent, then what you brother, mum, dad or whatever does shouldn't impact on your application.

[Evanivitch]

It's all about ability to influence. If she has financial ties to him, or in some way there's a dependence, then she would be seen as vulnerable.

If she sets herself if with a solid foundation then she'll have no issues unless she starts getting into really specialist stuff or the brother becomes a real c****.

[Slow.Patrol]

My mate at school was the youngest of six brothers. The older five brothers were like the local Mafia. Thieving, back of the lorry stuff although they were not (to my knowledge), in the drugs game.

Mate joined the police. Got to Inspector before he retired. Never saw his family after he joined up. His brothers never came to his wedding, although he did invite them. I think he saw getting ostracised by his family as a bonus.

He did join up in a different county to where his family were based, but he never hid who his family were.

[edthefed]

It will all depend on the circumstances, but she needs to fully declare it on her vetting form when she applies.

An assessment will be made of how much "influence" the sibling could have on her.

Just been through something similar with a young relative who had a step brother that ended up inside for a couple of years and my relative had been to visit him as they grew up together.

When his vetting form came through he explained in detail the family background and that as a teenager he had no choice but to live in the same house as his step brother, but that they had made different life choices.

Confirmed he had been to HMP as a visitor but had no on going / regular contact, step brother did not know his new address, was not welcome at his house but that he he could not rule out meeting him at family events but he was aware of the difficulties it could cause.

Vetting Unit made various enquiries including contacting other family members and it was not an issue.

Various people i served with in my 30 years had family members with previous convictions, even a PW with a son serving a custodial sentence

[LosingGrip]

I've had a bit of a dodgy dad. Not spoken to him since 2010 (just as I started the application process). Never been an issue.

Had to declare other friends/family. Ex partners grandad had been in prison (I never found out what for) with no issues.

Be open and transparent with them. Don't try and hide it, as they will find out easily anyway. If she gets on with him and sees him often...be honest. If she says she doesn't see him often but it gets found out she's lied, thats a massive no no.

Good luck to her! It can be the best and worst job at the same time!