Shouldn’t have to be perfect to be a cop

Editor's note: an earlier version of this story contained incorrect information about past behavior and its effect on applying for a police department job.

Wichita Police Chief Gordon Ramsay is wise to consider changes to the department’s policy regarding job applicants with minor criminal offenses in their past.

“I want people who have had adversity in their past and maybe had a bumpy road,” he told Eagle reporter Stan Finger. “They have more life experience. They can relate to someone better than maybe people that have never struggled with how they’re going to pay for their next meal or their next rent payment.”

Everyone makes their share of mistakes and bad decisions, particularly during their teenage and early adult years. Sometimes those mistakes result in a run-in with the law and the court system. When that happens, that one mistake can affect a person’s life and ability to get a job for years or even a lifetime.

Many people may have made those same mistakes but have simply been lucky enough not to get caught. They are spared the repercussions experienced by those who ended up in the legal system. That doesn’t make those who got caught any worse than those who didn’t. And it shouldn’t necessarily disqualify them from being a police officer, if it were a minor offense.

But there is a wrinkle to what Ramsay is considering. The Brady/Giglio court rulings require a prosecutor to disclose to the defense a witness who may have a potential credibility issue. That would include a police officer with a criminal conviction in his or her past. That, in turn, could potentially affect the outcome of a case.

The Brady/Giglio list does not just involve criminal offenses. For instance, former Police Chief Norman Williams was on the list due to a work infraction early in his career as a police officer.

Some defense attorneys gave positive reviews to Ramsay’s willingness to consider the policy change. They see the value of second chances and the character that adversity can develop. But they also acknowledge that a change could lead to more credibility challenges in court cases.

It will be difficult for Ramsay to find the line of what offenses will rule a candidate out. It will likely involve a variety of factors, including the type and severity of the crime or wrongdoing, the circumstances under which it occurred and when it occurred.

In the end, decisions may need to be made on a case-by-case basis. But Ramsay and his leadership team should be able to find the appropriate balance. And our police department will be the better for it.

This story was originally published September 25, 2016 at 5:06 AM with the headline "Shouldn’t have to be perfect to be a cop."