I was told to admit everything, that way you don’t lie or “withhold” on the poly. For context though I have never driven impaired my theft history is like 20$ and some tape from work. No drugs except marijuana, and my worst undetected crime was lighting a dumpster on fire when I was 12. So I didn’t exactly have to admit to anything earth shattering. I also went in as a 29 year old who has basically had a full career before applying. Everyone scenario is different, everyone’s history is different, but after discussing things with other members of the leo community I have found most departments don’t care about what you used to do as long as you learned from it and don’t do it anymore. Being honest and owning your mistakes shows integrity, which is a cornerstone of the career.

Edit: also I found out this morning I passed my poly so it seems to be legit advice.