Why a Domestic Violence Conviction will Stop You from Becoming a Police Officer?

In 1996 Congress passed the Omnibus Consolidated Appropriations Act, which prohibits any person convicted of an act of domestic violence to possess a firearm. As police officers are responsible for carrying a firearm in the performance of their duties, conviction for an act of domestic violence, felony or misdemeanor, bars an applicant from employment as a police officer or any other law enforcement position which carries a firearm in the performance of their duties. This is referred to an “Automatic Disqualifier” and because it is derived from Federal Law it applies to every law enforcement agency in the United States including local police and sheriff’s department, state bureaus of investigation and state patrol, federal agencies including the FBI, ATF, and Secret Service, and to Tribal Law Enforcement agencies.