29F Former NYPD with a Bachelor's Degree. Resigned after a bad mistake, now feeling completely lost and looking for a fresh start in NJ.

Please don’t judge me, I am just a 29-year-old female trying to start over. In February of 2025, I resigned from the NYPD. I absolutely loved my job, and I was told I was a great cop. I always treated everyone with respect and kindness, no matter the situation. The community I served truly loved me, and my precinct always had great things to say about me and my work ethic.

Long story short, I was in two accidents back-to-back in 2023 and 2024—one on the job and one off the job. In the first accident, my partner was driving when we were hit by another car. He was unresponsive with no pulse, and the car was heavily smoking. Knowing it could catch fire, I pulled him out of the vehicle and saved his life (I was only two months on the job), receiving an award for it.

A year later, coming home from a holiday party, I turned too wide and hit a car. There is more to the story, but I got jammed up and decided to resign because I knew I was going to be fired.

THANKFULLY, no one got injured or died, and I was the only one injured. I had no priors; it was my first offense. Because I was a cop, they hit me with a misdemeanor. I completely deserve that. I’m human, I made a terrible mistake, and I admitted to everything at the scene. I thank God EVERY SINGLE DAY for protecting me and the people around me that night.

Now, I am starting over in New Jersey and I don’t know which direction to turn. I have a bachelor's degree in Sociology and Anthropology, with a minor in Criminal Justice. I applied to the post office and a few other jobs, but I keep getting denied because of my driving record. I’m feeling really depressed and lost. I don’t know what to do with my life, or what I even like to do besides law enforcement.

I know it won’t be the same in New Jersey, but I’ve been thinking about joining the Army National Guard because I want to stay close to home.

Has anyone here transitioned out of law enforcement under tough circumstances? What civilian career paths value an LEO background but might be more forgiving of a driving record/misdemeanor? Does anyone have experience getting a moral waiver for the National Guard? Any advice or direction would be greatly appreciated.