Patrol and Traffic Operations Flashcards
7 cards from real DCJS practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Patrol and Traffic Operations flashcards as text
Under the 'plain view' doctrine during a traffic stop, an officer may seize contraband without a warrant when:
Answer: The officer entered the vehicle lawfully and the item's incriminating nature is immediately apparent
Plain view allows warrantless seizure when the officer is lawfully present, the item is in plain view, and its incriminating character is immediately apparent.
When writing a crash report in Virginia, the term 'contributing circumstance' refers to:
Answer: A factor related to the road, environment, or vehicle that contributed to the crash
Contributing circumstances on Virginia crash reports include road conditions, environmental factors, and vehicle defects separate from driver behavior.
An officer on patrol receives a call about a suspicious person matching the description of a wanted subject. To conduct a valid Terry stop, the officer must have:
Answer: Reasonable articulable suspicion based on specific facts that criminal activity is afoot
Terry v. Ohio established that a brief investigative stop requires only reasonable articulable suspicion, not full probable cause.
What does the acronym BOLO stand for in law enforcement patrol communications?
Answer: Be On the Lookout
BOLO — 'Be On the Lookout' — is a broadcast to patrol units describing a suspect, vehicle, or item officers should watch for.
A driver stopped for a traffic infraction refuses to provide their driver's license. Under Virginia Code § 46.2-104, the officer may:
Answer: Arrest the driver for failing to present their license on demand
Virginia Code § 46.2-104 requires drivers to present their license on demand to an officer, and refusal is a misdemeanor supporting a custodial arrest.
During a traffic stop, the officer smells fresh marijuana coming from a vehicle. Under current Virginia law (post-2021 legalization), this odor alone:
Answer: May be one factor considered in the totality of circumstances but is not automatic probable cause alone
Following Virginia's marijuana legalization, courts have ruled that marijuana odor alone is no longer automatic probable cause and must be considered among other totality-of-circumstances factors.
An officer is pursuing a fleeing vehicle at high speed through a residential area. The DCJS-recommended primary factor for deciding to terminate pursuit is:
Answer: Whether the risk to the public outweighs the need to apprehend
DCJS and Virginia model pursuit policies require officers to continuously balance the need to apprehend against the risk posed to officers, the public, and third parties.