California POST Test Analyzing Informational Passages 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A passage states: 'Vehicle searches without a warrant are permissible when officers have probable cause to believe contraband is present.' An officer smells marijuana coming from a parked, unoccupied vehicle. What does the passage suggest about searching the vehicle?
- A search is not permitted because the vehicle is unoccupied
- A search may be permissible if the odor constitutes probable cause (Correct answer)
- A warrant is always required for parked vehicles
- The passage does not address parked vehicles
Correct answer: A search may be permissible if the odor constitutes probable cause
The passage permits warrantless searches when probable cause exists that contraband is present, and the odor could constitute that probable cause.
Question 2: A policy excerpt reads: 'Officers may use pepper spray only after verbal commands have been issued and ignored, and only when facing active resistance.' An officer encounters a subject who is passively refusing to move but not fighting. What does the policy indicate?
- Pepper spray is authorized because verbal commands were likely issued
- Pepper spray is not authorized because passive resistance is not active resistance (Correct answer)
- The officer must wait for a supervisor before acting
- Pepper spray is always the first option for non-compliant subjects
Correct answer: Pepper spray is not authorized because passive resistance is not active resistance
The policy requires active resistance as a condition for pepper spray use; passive non-compliance does not meet that threshold.
Question 3: A bulletin states: 'All K-9 deployments must be logged in the K-9 Activity Report within two hours of the deployment ending. The watch commander must be notified immediately if a bite occurs.' An officer deploys a K-9 at 10:00 PM; the dog bites a suspect at 10:15 PM; the deployment ends at 10:30 PM. When must the Activity Report be filed?
- By 10:15 PM
- By 10:30 PM
- By 12:30 AM (Correct answer)
- By 12:15 AM
Correct answer: By 12:30 AM
The report is due within two hours of the deployment ending at 10:30 PM, making the deadline 12:30 AM.
Question 4: A passage says: 'Of the 200 calls handled last shift, 40% were service calls, 35% were disturbance calls, and the remainder were emergency calls.' How many emergency calls were handled?
- 25
- 50 (Correct answer)
- 70
- 80
Correct answer: 50
Service (40%) plus disturbance (35%) equals 75%, leaving 25% as emergency calls; 25% of 200 = 50.
Question 5: A report reads: 'The witness stated she saw the suspect enter the store at approximately 2:00 PM and leave around 2:20 PM. The robbery was reported at 2:15 PM.' What can be concluded from the witness statement alone?
- The suspect committed the robbery
- The suspect was present in the store when the robbery was reported (Correct answer)
- The suspect left before the robbery occurred
- The witness is an unreliable source
Correct answer: The suspect was present in the store when the robbery was reported
The robbery was reported at 2:15 PM, and the witness places the suspect in the store from 2:00–2:20 PM, meaning the suspect was there when the robbery occurred.
Question 6: A memo states: 'Detectives assigned to Major Crimes will carry department-issued laptops at all times. Detectives assigned to Narcotics will use encrypted phones instead.' Detective Reyes is assigned to Narcotics. Which equipment must she carry per the memo?
- A department-issued laptop
- An encrypted phone (Correct answer)
- Both a laptop and an encrypted phone
- Neither; Narcotics uses personal devices
Correct answer: An encrypted phone
The memo specifies that Narcotics detectives use encrypted phones instead of laptops, so Detective Reyes must carry an encrypted phone.
Question 7: A passage states: 'Community policing initiatives led to a 15% reduction in burglaries in targeted neighborhoods. However, auto thefts in the same neighborhoods rose by 9% during the same period.' Which conclusion is best supported by the passage?
- Community policing was a complete failure
- Community policing had mixed results across different crime types (Correct answer)
- Auto thefts increased because burglaries decreased
- Community policing should be discontinued
Correct answer: Community policing had mixed results across different crime types
The data shows improvement in one crime category and worsening in another, indicating mixed rather than uniformly positive or negative results.
California POST Test Analyzing Informational Passages 3
A passage states: 'Vehicle searches without a warrant are permissible when officers have probable cause to believe contraband is present.' An officer smells marijuana coming from a parked, unoccupied vehicle.
What does the passage suggest about searching the vehicle?