Personal History Statement (PHS)

The Personal History Statement (PHS) is the heart of the background investigation. Like all other things you will do to get this job, you need to put your best foot forward. That means accuracy, completeness, no spelling errors, etc.

This is a quick guide through the PHS to alert you to some problem areas and advice I have encountered as a background investigator.

You MUST use the current PHS. I have had candidates turn in a PHS they filled out previously, and it is not the most current one on the POST website. Yeah, it’s a pain to fill out a new one, but you have to. POST does audits at police agencies, and if they accepted an out-of-date (at the time of submission) PHS, they get dinged in the audit. In addition, laws change, and some things in the PHS have to change to comply with the law.

To find the most current PHS, you can go to the POST website https://post.ca.gov/portals/0/post_docs/publications/2-251-phsPeaceOfficers.pdf .

The date is on the first page, upper left, under “Personal History Statement.”

HINT: This is not like an application you filled out to get a job elsewhere. It counts how accurate and complete you are.

HINT: Don’t have anyone else fill it out. YOU fill it out. I have discovered missing information and asked the candidate about it. They have told me, oh, it wasn’t intentional, my girlfriend filled it out for me. So I ask why they didn’t fill it out. I have had some pretty dumb answers like they are not good at using computers…Disqualified (DQ).

Make sure you sign each page that requires a signature. There are two; One on the front page and one on the last page. Other than the front page, every page has an area on the bottom right to initial each page. Make sure you do. If the document is printed out without it, adjust the print area or scale when you print, so it does. Sometimes an agency will direct you not to sign or initial until you are being interviewed about it. So, of course, follow their directions.

You probably won’t have room to put everything on the PHS, so there is a supplemental information page at the end of the form. Use it. Duplicate that page as many times as necessary. Don’t give the excuse of not putting all the information requested because there wasn’t room. Yes, I have heard that dozens of times.

Here is advice by Section.

SECTION 1: PERSONAL

It is self-explanatory.

SECTION 2: RELATIVES AND REFERENCES

Under Spouse, put significant other if not married and indicate that.

Make sure that all the information is filled in for each relative and reference. Don’t just put a phone number and expect the background investigator to get the rest when they contact that person. If you don’t know, you should be the one to contact them and get ALL the information that is on the form, including email and the work info. If estranged, state such. This goes for all the PHS.

I don’t know how many candidates put a phone number only and when I am interviewing them and ask them where the info is, they say, “Oh, you can call and ask them.” NO! You can call and ask them.

A lot of the background is done via email, so that is very important. Remember all of this is required by POST, whether you like it or not.

HINT: Make sure you read the directions on the form and follow those directions. Yes, many candidates don’t even read the directions and don’t fill it out correctly.

HINT: For the references, it says to list 7-10 people and who NOT to list. Again read the directions. Don’t list 7. List all 10. When the agency sees you listed the minimum, it reflects that you will likely do minimum work.

SECTION 3: EDUCATION

Self-explanatory. Be complete and add anything that won’t fit here on the supplemental page (25) in the same format as in this section.

SECTION 4: RESIDENCE HISTORY

For some reason, this is an area where I find the most information left out. An example would be someone who lived at a residence and temporarily moved out to a friend’s home until they found a new place. That should be listed. Do the best you can with the dates and indicate approximately if that is the best you can do.

SECTION 5: EXPERIENCE AND EMPLOYMENT

Read the directions! As with the application, put the reason you left the job, i.e., conflicted with college schedule, left for a better job, I was fired for embezzlement, etc. Seriously, if you were fired, or terminated state that you were. I have actually had candidates who were fired for embezzlement.

As with the rest of the PHS, be complete. Call the old supervisor if you don’t have her info, and get it. If you can’t contact that supervisor, or the business went out of business, do the best you can and explain it.

HINT: When going through the questions in this section, if you’re not sure something applies or not, it does apply, so answer accordingly.

Agencies applied to:

I hope you kept track. You HAVE to list every law enforcement agency you have applied to, even if not a peace officer or PS dispatcher position. It does not matter whether it was a physical application or online. This is a common area where applicants get DQ’d for leaving information out. You will likely have to add info from this on a supplemental page.

HINT: If you were not hired and not told you were disqualified, you were not disqualified, so don’t check that box. You would check other…never heard back from the agency, or not hired.

SECTION 7: FINANCIAL

Do the best you can. I have found that some people had no idea what they spent each month until they figured it out for this form. Everyone knows it varies from month to month; legitimately average it. The same goes for the income if it varies month to month.

SECTION 8: LEGAL

This is simple for some and more complex for others. You need to list all detentions, arrests, and convictions. If you had a successful diversion, were pardoned, or had a record sealed, you do not have to necessarily list that conviction. But you do have to list that crime that lead to that conviction and the arrest. Don’t leave stuff out, even things from when you were a juvenile. Like it says in the directions, “It is strongly recommended that you consult with an attorney before omitting any information.”

HINT: When going through the questions in this section, if you’re not sure something applies or not, it does apply, so answer accordingly.

SECTION 10: OTHER TOPICS

Self-explanatory.

BIG HINT: The form is in a pdf format. Most pdf readers don’t have spell-check. It’s a pain, but take the time to spell check it, even areas you don’t think you need to. It’s tedious, but one of the ways you can spell-check it is to open a word processor or similar, such as Word or Pages, and copy and paste different sections into a blank document to spell check it. Correct it, and cut and paste it back. You will be surprised as to how many errors you will find. If you use a pdf reader that has spell check, you are golden. Once you are finished with that, have someone else proofread it…unless you don’t want them to find out what you did at band camp 🙂 .

The biggest thing you should come away with from this post is that you need to be complete and accurate as possible. Never try to sugarcoat something or convince yourself it doesn’t need to be listed. Giving too much information is much preferable to not enough. Do the work to be complete. Yea, it’s a pain, but worth it.