CPD Community Policing & De-escalation 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A CPD officer uses force on a subject who was later found to be experiencing a diabetic emergency. What lesson does this scenario reinforce about de-escalation?
- Medical conditions are irrelevant to use-of-force decisions
- Officers must consider medical or behavioral health factors that may explain unusual behavior before escalating to force (Correct answer)
- Force was justified because the behavior appeared threatening regardless of cause
- Only supervisors are responsible for identifying medical emergencies
Correct answer: Officers must consider medical or behavioral health factors that may explain unusual behavior before escalating to force
CPD policy requires officers to consider alternative explanations for erratic behavior, including medical crises, before using force.
Question 2: What is the primary reason CPD encourages officers to use 'time as a resource' during tense encounters?
- It allows officers to fill out paperwork before engaging
- Slowing down a situation reduces adrenaline, allows emotions to de-escalate, and increases options for peaceful resolution (Correct answer)
- It forces the subject to exhaust themselves before arrest
- It gives supervisors time to arrive and take over the situation
Correct answer: Slowing down a situation reduces adrenaline, allows emotions to de-escalate, and increases options for peaceful resolution
Taking more time allows both officers and subjects to calm down physiologically, improving decision-making and increasing the likelihood of a non-force resolution.
Question 3: Under CPD's body-worn camera (BWC) policy, when must an officer activate their camera during a community policing interaction?
- Only when making a formal arrest
- Whenever the officer responds to a call for service, conducts a stop, or anticipates enforcement action (Correct answer)
- Only when a supervisor orders it
- Only in high-crime districts
Correct answer: Whenever the officer responds to a call for service, conducts a stop, or anticipates enforcement action
CPD BWC policy requires activation at the start of calls for service, investigative stops, and any situation that may involve enforcement to ensure accountability.
Question 4: A CPD officer responding to a noise complaint discovers the 'noise' is a block party with permits and community approval. The BEST community policing response is to:
- Issue a citation to all organizers for generating a call
- Verify the permits, address any legitimate concerns with the organizers, and engage positively with community members (Correct answer)
- Shut down the event immediately to avoid future complaints
- Leave without documenting the contact
Correct answer: Verify the permits, address any legitimate concerns with the organizers, and engage positively with community members
Community policing requires officers to exercise judgment, verify legitimate activity, and use community interactions as opportunities to build positive relationships.
Question 5: Which of the following is an example of 'procedural justice' as applied by CPD during a pedestrian stop?
- Completing the stop as quickly as possible regardless of questions asked
- Explaining to the person why they are being stopped, treating them respectfully, and allowing them to be heard (Correct answer)
- Limiting the stop to persons matching a vague description to increase efficiency
- Requiring the person to sign a waiver before asking any questions
Correct answer: Explaining to the person why they are being stopped, treating them respectfully, and allowing them to be heard
Procedural justice requires officers to give voice, be neutral, show respect, and demonstrate trustworthy motives — all of which increase perceived legitimacy of police action.
Question 6: A CPD district commander wants to reduce gang-related shootings in a specific neighborhood. Which community policing approach is MOST evidence-based?
- Saturation arrests of all known gang members
- Group Violence Intervention: direct engagement with highest-risk individuals offering support while clearly communicating consequences (Correct answer)
- Installing surveillance cameras on every block with no community notification
- Curfew enforcement targeting all youth under 18
Correct answer: Group Violence Intervention: direct engagement with highest-risk individuals offering support while clearly communicating consequences
Group Violence Intervention (GVI), used by CPD, combines focused deterrence with social support offers and is supported by research as an effective evidence-based approach.
Question 7: An officer witnesses a colleague using a racial slur toward a community member during a stop. Under CPD's duty-to-intervene policy, what must the observing officer do?
- Wait until after the stop to report it informally to the colleague
- Intervene to stop the misconduct and report it to a supervisor as required by policy (Correct answer)
- Ignore it if the misconduct does not involve physical force
- Report it only if the community member formally complains
Correct answer: Intervene to stop the misconduct and report it to a supervisor as required by policy
CPD's duty-to-intervene policy requires officers to actively stop witnessed misconduct by colleagues — including verbal abuse — and report it to a supervisor, regardless of force level.
CPD Community Policing & De-escalation 5
A CPD officer uses force on a subject who was later found to be experiencing a diabetic emergency.
What lesson does this scenario reinforce about de-escalation?