Submitted 3 weeks ago by AQuestionAsker@lemmy.world to [deleted]
I wasn’t able to join the military because of it. I tried calling up my local PD and asking the source itself. Not only did they not know the answer (I’m shocked too trust me), they said I had to pass a medical test AFTER I go through all the prerequisites. So I’m asking here before I dedicate myself.
Why would you want to be a police officer?
Most of the job is dealing with distraught people and finding a way to get them to cooperate with you.
Just don’t be a cop. Easy. ACAB ✊
Don't join the army and don't be a cop, especially not in 2025. Odds are you'll be sent to beat up protesters.
And being someone who likes following all the rules as a cop in the US will just set you up to get wrecked by all sides, fellow cops (because you won’t let it slide), your bosses (because you cause trouble they don’t even want to know about) AND the general public (because your cop buddies behave like they do and you are on their team)
Anyone can be police in the US
Bonus points if you score low on an IQ test
That’s not bonus points, they’re allowed to discriminate against the intelligent in hiring
Don’t become a cop.
Sure, here’s your application.
If you chose “Yes” on most of these questions, you’re ready to be a cop in the USA. Please apply at the nearest donut shop.
There’s also an intelligence test, where you need to score below a certain level.
If the stereotype of autistic people having an oversensitive sense of injustice and not accepting commonly socially accepted rationalisations justifying it are true, then that could disqualify them from police work, given that the job is about enforcing the law as it is written.
I’d imagine all the unwritten rules, injustice inherent to the system, and subtle social queues might be infuriating.
An undercover black cop got beaten by his fellow white cops…
I also remember a Chinese American cop in NYC who’s gun accidentally discharged and the bullet ricocheted off a wall and hit a suspect and the suspect died, and immediately, the department threw him under the bus to say “oh we hold our officers accountable”, while simultaneously defending white cops who murders with intent. They will use you as a scapegoat. They will blame you for every mistake. I still remember my parents talking about that. Like everyone was talking about it on WeChat.
People that are neurodivergent are gonna get discriminated by them, don’t do it.
they only protect white cops, not POCs. PocS ARE just useful PR propaganda.
How did the military find out about your autism? I could see this being similar to the “don’t ask don’t tell” situation in the past with gay people in the military. It might be disqualifying, but they wouldn’t know unless you told them. The police might have less stringent requirements, but unlikely some random officer/employee that answers the phone would know definitively. If you’re comfortable not disclosing it, you might be able to try.
There are sooooo many neurodivergent service members.
A lot of the job is about dealing with people that are not rational for the moment.
Assuming this is in the USA, I want to note that there are many other available jobs in the protective services occupation, that can be public or private sector, that face the general public (or not), and that don’t have any particular positive or negative connotation attached to the job, even after hours.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has a fantastic reference for available occupations:
let me put it this way.
the police will give known violent rapists and violent racists a job.
as long as you don’t ask questions like, "is that legal?” or “should we be doing that? it feels wrong.” you will undoubtedly have a bright future in law enforcement.
What Autism>??? SHHHHH
Ive seen some bad responses, OP clearly says he wants to be a cop just anwser the question.
nothing wrong with being a cop its the laws that are the problem. Im sure these people discoraging the police will be the first to complain if they are a victim of crime
except police don’t have to know the laws, they exist to protect the whims of capital and privaye property.
This guy thinks cops follow laws and therefore the laws are the problem.
I used to think that cops were trying to do the right thing, to help people.
They aren’t. When your eyes open up to that, you’ll probably be sad. I was. But it’s a fact. The occasional good cop (they do exist) is just a drop of clean water in a sewer.
So what is the solution then, total anarchism? what about those who cant defend themselves?
you are quite misinformed asf, i met people in jury selection, almost all of them had terrible interaction with cops, they are more than useless when called in most situation. it sounds like you would be the first one to call about a suspicious poc/ or a neighbor you dont like.
This is probably going to vary a lot depending on where you’re applying, every state has their own regulations and every department their own standards, so there’s probably not going to be a one-size-fits-all answer for you.
At the very least, if it comes up, it’s probably not going to be seen as a mark in your favor. If, hypothetically, the hiring choice came down to you, or an otherwise identical candidate who isn’t autistic, 9/10 times they’re probably going to go with the other guy.
If at all possible, don’t bring it up. If it comes up on a form or something, don’t lie, if you get caught in a lie that’s probably gonna be an automatic disqualification, but if they don’t ask, don’t tell them. Don’t volunteer the information that you’re autistic unless it’s specifically asked for. If there’s a question anywhere along the lines of “do you have any conditions that will prevent you from carrying out your duties as a police officer?” The answer is “no” unless you do believe that your autism will be an impediment, in which case, don’t be a cop.
Also, between stuff like this and the potential of RFK wanting to send people to work farms, I think it’s very important for people to ask themselves before pursuing a diagnosis for autism (and other conditions) “how do I stand to benefit from a diagnosis, and how will it potentially hurt me?”
If you’re at the high-functioning/low-support-needs/however-you-want-to-phrase-it end of the spectrum, what kind of additional resources and support will a diagnosis actually unlock for you and do you really need them? Or will it just come back to bite you in situations like this? Unfortunately people really do need to be weighing that.
For what it’s worth, I know someone personally that is a genuinely kind person and a local police officer. He told me at some point that he had been diagnosed with Aspergers and I was a bit surprised. He might be an outliner or something, but he does a better job of being fair than most of the typical police encounters that I know of.
so becoming police officer depends 100% on country or state. 🤷
but it might be worth reconsidering police as a career. You will be indoctrinated and only have a few options in how to do law. You will most of the time be sendt in to harass homeless people, often without understanding that you’re harassing them.
you’ll be given a hammer and told to do the work of a hammer, screwdriver, pillow, suitcase and all other things. but the only thing you have is a hammer.
Only you can say what is right for you ofcourse. and you can always change your mind regardless of anything ❤️
As much as I abhor Reddit, they have a lot more active communities for military related questions. I expect they’ll same is true for police.
If you really want to go military, “there’s a waiver for everything” is a common saying (source: I did a stint in the Navy), so you can probably find a doctor who’s willing to write a memo telling them your fit for service. I expect the police will will have similar policies.
If this has rekindled your hope for military, feel free to DM me. Lol, I’ve got lots of thoughts and can point you in directions on that end (not so much the police stuff) and don’t want to wall of text too hard.
In my country: No.
I became a nurse with a personality disorder, although I’ve had two full years off DBT for it. I find most things in life are a lot less about what you can do and a lot more about what you’re willing to do. Go on understanding you’re going to have to work way harder for them to see you as half as good and you’ll be fine.
gestures broadly
Weird. I used to work with someone who was diagnosed with high functioning autism who later joined the military, and that was after he was forcibly institutionalized for trying to murder someone (and drug problems). Had no idea that was supposed to keep you out.
gustofwind@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
As long as your IQ is still low enough to be a good
bootlicking thugcopabcnews.go.com/US/…/story?id=95836