bigguy
08-25-2005, 12:57 AM
Hey,
Just for any of you January or May prospects coming from NYC, I thought I'd post instructions on getting the police clearance letter and save you the nightmare I've endured.
Forget the idea that you're going to walk into your local precinct in a starched shirt and smile and hand them the form letter that Saba provides. I did that with 3 different precincts and pretty much just got laughed at. Finally, one cop who actually deserves his pay said "oh, what you need is a good conduct letter, but you gotta go to Police Plaza for that."
So head down to One Police Plaza (N or R train to City Hall, then ask a cop where to go). Have a money order in the amount of $30 with you, they don't take any other form of payment. As with all New York City agencies, expect to stand in line and be treated like dirt by the "public servants" who are one generation out the trees.
Have your passport with you, hand them the money order, they'll bark at you to sit down, and give you no indication of what you're waiting for or how long it will take. Of course, as you sit there you'll convince yourself that you do actually have a summons out for your arrest (remember that parking ticket you thought you'd paid). Forty minutes later someone will bark your name and lead you back to a fingerprinting machine where they'll talk on a cell phone in a foreign language as they fingerprint you. Then they'll hand you a receipt, and tell you to come back 12 days later.
You'll go back in 12 days, wait another 40 minutes until they bark your name again, and they'll hand you a sheet with a copy of your fingerprints, and if you're lucky, they'll have ticked the box that says something like "no criminal activity." So much for the nicely worded template that Saba gave you.
Anyway, if you're from NYC, you're used to dealing with crappy agencies. Remember that you'll be going through one or two metal detectors and bring:
-a pen
-the money order for $30 (there's a bank a block away that'll charge $8 for a money order)
-your passport
Good luck!
Bigguy
Just for any of you January or May prospects coming from NYC, I thought I'd post instructions on getting the police clearance letter and save you the nightmare I've endured.
Forget the idea that you're going to walk into your local precinct in a starched shirt and smile and hand them the form letter that Saba provides. I did that with 3 different precincts and pretty much just got laughed at. Finally, one cop who actually deserves his pay said "oh, what you need is a good conduct letter, but you gotta go to Police Plaza for that."
So head down to One Police Plaza (N or R train to City Hall, then ask a cop where to go). Have a money order in the amount of $30 with you, they don't take any other form of payment. As with all New York City agencies, expect to stand in line and be treated like dirt by the "public servants" who are one generation out the trees.
Have your passport with you, hand them the money order, they'll bark at you to sit down, and give you no indication of what you're waiting for or how long it will take. Of course, as you sit there you'll convince yourself that you do actually have a summons out for your arrest (remember that parking ticket you thought you'd paid). Forty minutes later someone will bark your name and lead you back to a fingerprinting machine where they'll talk on a cell phone in a foreign language as they fingerprint you. Then they'll hand you a receipt, and tell you to come back 12 days later.
You'll go back in 12 days, wait another 40 minutes until they bark your name again, and they'll hand you a sheet with a copy of your fingerprints, and if you're lucky, they'll have ticked the box that says something like "no criminal activity." So much for the nicely worded template that Saba gave you.
Anyway, if you're from NYC, you're used to dealing with crappy agencies. Remember that you'll be going through one or two metal detectors and bring:
-a pen
-the money order for $30 (there's a bank a block away that'll charge $8 for a money order)
-your passport
Good luck!
Bigguy