CPD CPD Advanced Practice 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under the Chicago Municipal Code, which offense is classified as a municipal ordinance violation rather than a state criminal offense?
- Retail theft under $100
- Public urination (Correct answer)
- Simple assault
- Criminal trespass to land
Correct answer: Public urination
Public urination is typically charged as a Chicago municipal ordinance violation, while the other options are Illinois Criminal Code offenses.
Question 2: A CPD officer is dispatched to a 'person with a gun' call. On arrival, the officer sees a person matching the description holding an object. Which action best reflects current CPD de-escalation policy?
- Immediately draw and point the service weapon until the threat is resolved
- Establish distance, communicate clearly, use cover, and assess whether the object is actually a weapon before escalating (Correct answer)
- Request backup and wait without engaging until five officers are present
- Order the person prone on the ground before assessing the situation
Correct answer: Establish distance, communicate clearly, use cover, and assess whether the object is actually a weapon before escalating
CPD de-escalation policy requires officers to create distance, use cover, communicate, and gather information before applying force, when circumstances permit.
Question 3: Under Illinois law, 'first degree murder' requires the state to prove that the offender:
- Acted with malice aforethought for more than 24 hours before the killing
- Killed an individual while intending to kill or cause great bodily harm, or knowing the act created a strong probability of death (Correct answer)
- Was the direct cause of death with at least one witness present
- Planned the killing with at least one co-conspirator
Correct answer: Killed an individual while intending to kill or cause great bodily harm, or knowing the act created a strong probability of death
Illinois first degree murder requires intent to kill or cause great bodily harm, or knowledge that the act created a strong probability of death or great bodily harm.
Question 4: When preparing an arrest report, a CPD officer's narrative should primarily focus on:
- The officer's personal opinions about the suspect's guilt
- Objective facts, direct observations, and verbatim statements in chronological order (Correct answer)
- Legal conclusions about which charges will succeed at trial
- A summary of the suspect's criminal history
Correct answer: Objective facts, direct observations, and verbatim statements in chronological order
Police reports must contain objective observations, facts, and direct quotes in chronological order — not opinion, legal conclusions, or irrelevant history.
Question 5: Under the Illinois Concealed Carry Act, a license holder who is carrying a concealed firearm and is approached by a police officer during an investigation must:
- Immediately disclose the presence of the firearm before any question is asked
- Disclose the presence of the firearm only if directly asked by the officer (Correct answer)
- Place the firearm on the ground before speaking to the officer
- Transfer the firearm to another person present to avoid confusion
Correct answer: Disclose the presence of the firearm only if directly asked by the officer
Illinois law requires a concealed carry licensee to inform an officer of the firearm only upon the officer's inquiry — there is no proactive disclosure requirement.
Question 6: A CPD officer is processing a crime scene where a shooting occurred. Which step should occur FIRST?
- Collect and bag all shell casings
- Secure the scene perimeter and provide care to any injured persons (Correct answer)
- Photograph all evidence from multiple angles
- Interview witnesses before they leave the scene
Correct answer: Secure the scene perimeter and provide care to any injured persons
Scene security and rendering aid to injured persons always precede evidence collection — life safety and scene integrity are the first priorities.
Question 7: Under the Consent Decree entered against the City of Chicago in 2019, CPD is required to:
- Eliminate all plainclothes units permanently
- Reform use-of-force practices, accountability, and community policing under federal court oversight (Correct answer)
- Transfer all misconduct investigations to the FBI
- Reduce the total number of sworn officers by 20% over five years
Correct answer: Reform use-of-force practices, accountability, and community policing under federal court oversight
The 2019 federal Consent Decree mandates comprehensive CPD reforms in use of force, accountability, supervision, and community policing, monitored by an Independent Monitor.
CPD CPD Advanced Practice 5
Under the Chicago Municipal Code, which offense is classified as a municipal ordinance violation rather than a state criminal offense?