DCJS Community Policing and Communication 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Foot patrol is valued in community policing primarily because it:
- Allows officers to cover larger geographic areas
- Increases direct personal interaction with residents (Correct answer)
- Reduces the need for radio communications
- Lowers the cost of vehicle maintenance
Correct answer: Increases direct personal interaction with residents
Foot patrol builds personal relationships between officers and community members, fostering trust and information sharing.
Question 2: An officer notices a group of teenagers gathering nightly at a park but no crimes have been reported. Under community policing principles, the officer should:
- Order the teenagers to disperse immediately
- Cite them for loitering without observation
- Engage them in conversation to understand their needs and concerns (Correct answer)
- Increase patrols without direct interaction
Correct answer: Engage them in conversation to understand their needs and concerns
Proactive engagement allows officers to understand the situation and potentially connect youth with resources before problems develop.
Question 3: Which of the following is an example of a CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design) strategy?
- Increasing undercover operations in high-crime areas
- Improving street lighting to increase natural surveillance (Correct answer)
- Adding more officers to a patrol district
- Implementing mandatory minimum sentences
Correct answer: Improving street lighting to increase natural surveillance
CPTED uses physical environment modifications like improved lighting to reduce crime opportunities through natural surveillance.
Question 4: When communicating with a person who is deaf or hard of hearing, an officer should FIRST:
- Speak louder and more slowly
- Request a qualified interpreter if needed and use written communication (Correct answer)
- Assume the person can lip-read and proceed normally
- Defer all interaction to another officer
Correct answer: Request a qualified interpreter if needed and use written communication
Officers should use qualified interpreters or written communication to ensure effective and legally compliant communication with deaf individuals.
Question 5: Community policing holds that crime reduction is MOST effective when:
- Police act independently of community input
- Enforcement is the sole responsibility of law enforcement
- Police and community members work as co-producers of public safety (Correct answer)
- Strict zero-tolerance policies are enforced universally
Correct answer: Police and community members work as co-producers of public safety
The co-production model recognizes that lasting public safety requires active partnership between police and the community they serve.
Question 6: Which of the following BEST describes the 'broken windows' theory as it applies to community policing?
- Officers should prioritize violent felony arrests exclusively
- Visible signs of disorder, if unaddressed, encourage further crime (Correct answer)
- Physical property damage is the primary cause of community violence
- Broken windows in patrol vehicles reduce officer morale
Correct answer: Visible signs of disorder, if unaddressed, encourage further crime
The broken windows theory holds that unaddressed minor disorder signals neglect and invites more serious criminal activity.
Question 7: Which action by an officer MOST undermines community trust?
- Issuing a traffic citation with a clear explanation
- Selectively enforcing laws based on a person's race or ethnicity (Correct answer)
- Referring a citizen to a non-police social service
- Conducting a follow-up call after a property crime report
Correct answer: Selectively enforcing laws based on a person's race or ethnicity
Selective enforcement based on protected characteristics violates civil rights and severely damages the community's trust in law enforcement.
DCJS Community Policing and Communication 3
Foot patrol is valued in community policing primarily because it: