I gander that the OP just really wants to be a cop. Apply. Thats my advice. Up in Canada, we have things called deferrals. You can apply, and you might get deferred for a couple months or a year, or lifetime. But you will never know if you dont try. Here is some relevant info from the Edmonton Police recruitment website:
- Applicants must generally be at least three (3) years clear of any
detected or undetected criminal activity to be considered for employment as a police
officer.
-The personal disclosure interview (PDI) is a one-on-one interview conducted by the applicant’s file manager (a sworn member of the EPS assigned to the Selection Unit). During this three-hour interview, the applicant’s application and personal disclosure form will be reviewed and discussed. As with all stages of the process, the applicant’s honesty is vital. We recognize that people may have made poor decisions in the past, so it’s important that candidates be truthful about these decisions and past actions during all of the application process.
Basically, try and apply, if you have sincerely regret what you had done, and have taken steps to improve yourself, there is no harm. The internet is never the place to try and build your confidence, as there are a lot of nay sayers. From what I hear, it is harder to become a cop in Canada, our application is 8 steps that take over 5 months to complete. If you are honest, and display integrity, it will get you far. If you get deferred, they will tell you why, and what to work on. If you get a lifetime deferral, at least you know you tried as hard as you could. Unfortunately, this is all Canadian, and I have no knowledge of American law enforcement.