CJBAT Situational Judgment Questions & Answers 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: You discover a fellow correctional officer has been bringing unauthorized food items to a specific inmate. The most appropriate action is:
- Ignore it since it seems harmless
- Confront the officer publicly in front of inmates
- Report the behavior to your supervisor through proper channels (Correct answer)
- Begin bringing items to the same inmate to build rapport
Correct answer: Report the behavior to your supervisor through proper channels
Unauthorized interactions can indicate grooming, manipulation, or corruption. Report through proper channels for investigation.
What appears harmless can indicate a dangerous dynamic. Officers providing unauthorized items may be manipulated or engaged in a corrupt relationship. Ignoring it violates the duty to report. Public confrontation could alert the inmate. The proper action is to report through the chain of command.
Question 2: During patrol, you witness a minor traffic accident with no injuries. Both drivers argue loudly. A burglary in progress call comes in two blocks away. What should you do?
- Stay at the accident until resolved
- Respond to the burglary and radio for another unit for the accident (Correct answer)
- Ignore both and continue patrol
- Settle the argument by citing both drivers
Correct answer: Respond to the burglary and radio for another unit for the accident
A burglary in progress is higher priority. Radio for another unit to handle the minor accident.
A burglary in progress is Priority 1 with potential for violence. A minor accident with no injuries is lower priority. By radioing for another unit, both situations receive attention while you respond to the more urgent call.
Question 3: A suspect in custody begins having what appears to be a seizure. You are the only officer present. Your first action should be:
- Restrain the suspect to prevent self-injury
- Call for medical assistance while clearing hazards around the suspect (Correct answer)
- Wait for the seizure to stop
- Leave to get a first aid kit
Correct answer: Call for medical assistance while clearing hazards around the suspect
Call for medical help while clearing the area of objects that could cause injury. Do not restrain during a seizure.
Current medical guidelines advise against restraining during seizures (can cause fractures). The officer should call for medical assistance via radio while moving objects that could injure the person. Never leave a seizing person unmonitored in custody.
Question 4: Your partner suggests a shortcut through a restricted area to save 3 minutes reaching a noise complaint (non-emergency). You should:
- Take it since your partner has seniority
- Decline and take the authorized route since the call is non-emergency (Correct answer)
- Take it but document it in your report
- Report your partner immediately to internal affairs
Correct answer: Decline and take the authorized route since the call is non-emergency
No justification exists for violating restricted area protocols for a non-emergency call.
The call is non-emergency, so 3 minutes of time savings provides minimal benefit. Taking shortcuts through restricted areas violates policy regardless of who suggests it. Seniority does not override rules. Reporting to IA is disproportionate for a suggestion. Politely decline and take the authorized route.
Question 5: A politician friend asks you to speed up processing of their relative's case. How should you respond?
- Help since political relationships benefit the department
- Explain you cannot interfere and all cases follow standard procedures (Correct answer)
- Promise to look into it but do nothing
- Transfer the case to your own caseload
Correct answer: Explain you cannot interfere and all cases follow standard procedures
Interfering based on personal or political connections violates ethical standards. All cases must follow standard procedures.
Preferential treatment based on political connections undermines public trust and the justice system. Making a false promise is dishonest. Transferring creates a conflict of interest. The correct response is clear and firm: standard procedures apply to all cases equally.
Question 6: During a building search, you hear a noise from a room down the hall. Your partner is on a different floor. You should:
- Rush toward the noise
- Hold position, radio partner and backup, maintain awareness (Correct answer)
- Leave the building to wait for more units
- Ignore the noise and continue searching
Correct answer: Hold position, radio partner and backup, maintain awareness
Hold position while calling for backup. Rushing alone toward an unknown threat is dangerous.
Rushing toward unknown noise alone eliminates tactical advantages. Holding position maintains cover while bringing backup. Leaving the building may allow suspects to escape. Ignoring the noise means potentially missing a suspect or victim.
