Does an arrest or conviction record bar hiring as a police officer or firefighter?
by Nicholas A. Grojean ANSWER: Sometimes, but not always. The Division of the Municipal Code concerning the Board of Fire and Police Commissioners provides that all applicants for positions in fire and police departments are subject to reasonable eligibility limitations based upon their habits and moral character. 65 ILCS 5/10-2.1-6(a). Additionally, Section 10-2.1-6(j) of the Code requires that no person be appointed to the fire or police department unless he or she is a person of good moral character and not a habitual drunkard, gambler, or a person who has been convicted of a felony or a crime involving moral turpitude. Determining the boundaries between good and bad moral character, however, can often be very difficult. Complicating matters more, what constitutes a reasonable limitation is different in regards to a fire department applicant than it is for a police department applicant. In any case, local governments must be careful to always exercise their statutorily granted discr
