Free MPOETC Basic Police Training Questions and Answers — Questions and Answers
Question 1: RULE: Patrol vehicles should be checked at the start of each shift. Do not assume that the vehicle is in satisfactory condition. Check all of the lighting equipment, all emergency equipment, siren, engine, oil, transmission fluid, battery, radiator and gasoline levels, tire pressure and condition (including spare), lug wrench, jack, windshield wipers, and windshield washer fluid level. Check the body of the vehicle for damaged or missing parts and report any problems, damage, or discrepancies to your supervisor. At the end of your shift, leave the vehicle in optimum condition for emergency use by the next officer. SITUATION: Officer Burton is about to begin her patrol shift when she discovers that her police vehicle has a large dent in the left rear bumper. She knows that the vehicle did not have this dent yesterday when she last drove it. According to the above Rule, Officer Burton should most properly?
- Request that she be assigned a different vehicle
- Begin her shift and be alert to any operating problems
- Find out what other officers have used the vehicle since her last shift
- Inform her supervisor about the dented bumper (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Inform her supervisor about the dented bumper
Officer Burton should inform her supervisor about the dented bumper. According to the given rule, any problems, damage, or discrepancies should be reported to the supervisor. Since Officer Burton noticed the dent and knows that it was not there before, it is important to inform the supervisor so that the damage can be addressed and documented. This ensures that the vehicle is in optimum condition for emergency use by the next officer.
Question 2: The increasing demands upon our highways from a growing population and the development of forms of transportation not anticipated when the highways were first built have brought about congestion, confusion, and conflict until the yearly toll of traffic accidents is now at an appalling level. If the death and disaster that traffic accidents bring throughout the year were concentrated into one calamity, we would shudder at the tremendous catastrophe. The loss is no less catastrophic because it is spread out over time and space. Which one of the following statements concerning the yearly toll of traffic accidents is best supported by the passage above?
- It is increasing the demands for safer means of transportation.
- It has resulted in increased congestion, confusion, and conflict on our highways.
- It does not shock us as much as it should because the accidents do not all occur together. (Correct answer)
- It has resulted mainly from the new forms of transportation.
Correct answer: It does not shock us as much as it should because the accidents do not all occur together.
The passage states that if the death and disaster from traffic accidents were concentrated into one calamity, it would be a tremendous catastrophe. This suggests that the current toll of traffic accidents, spread out over time and space, does not shock us as much as it should. Thus, the statement that best aligns with this idea is "It does not shock us as much as it should because the accidents do not all occur together."
Question 3: NOTES: Responded to a call from 26 Arbor Ave. Residence of Tessa and John Wynter. Pulled in the driveway. Saw a woman on Wynters’ porch. Identified herself as Mrs. Orvis, a neighbor. QUESTION: Which one of the following choices most clearly and accurately express the facts presented in the notes?
- I responded to a call from 26 Arbor Avenue, the residence of Tessa and John Wynter. When I pulled into the driveway, I saw a woman on their porch. She identified herself as Mrs. Orvis, a neighbor. (Correct answer)
- Responding to a call from 26 Arbor Avenue, the residence of Tessa and John Wynter, and pulling into the driveway, I saw a neighbor on their porch, who identified herself as Mrs. Orvis.
- When I responded to a call from 26 Arbor Avenue, the residence of Tessa and John Wynter, I saw pulling into their driveway a woman on their porch who identified herself as Mrs. Orvis, a neighbor.
- Responding to a call from 26 Arbor Avenue, I saw a woman on the porch of Tessa and John Wynter’s residence. She identified herself as Mrs. Orvis, a neighbor.
Correct answer: I responded to a call from 26 Arbor Avenue, the residence of Tessa and John Wynter. When I pulled into the driveway, I saw a woman on their porch. She identified herself as Mrs. Orvis, a neighbor.
The correct answer is: I responded to a call from 26 Arbor Avenue, the residence of Tessa and John Wynter. When I pulled into the driveway, I saw a woman on their porch. She identified herself as Mrs. Orvis, a neighbor. This answer accurately and clearly expresses the sequence of events described in the notes, starting with the response to a call, then pulling into the driveway, and finally seeing a woman on the porch who identified herself as Mrs. Orvis.
Question 4: When conducting a fugitive investigation an investigator can use many different sources of information. The more information that an investigator has the easier it will be to locate the fugitive. Most of the information that an investigator needs may be obtained by interviewing the fugitives associates. The information obtained from the fugitive's friends and relatives may lead to where he is hiding. Other sources of information such as a driver's license or social security number may help an investigator to determine what alias the fugitive is using. The mail delivered by the Postal Service and telephone records may disclose the location of the fugitive. Every source of information that the investigator has access to should be obtained. Which of the following statements is best supported by this paragraph?
- An investigator who conducts a thorough interview of the fugitives friends and family members will be able to identify the fugitives whereabouts.
- Because a court order is needed to view any mail delivered by the Postal Service, an investigator should use this resource as a last resort.
- The best source of information for obtaining any aliases that the fugitive may be using is a drivers license inquiry or a review of the fugitives social security number.
- The key to any fugitive investigation is for the investigator to utilize all the informational resources available. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: The key to any fugitive investigation is for the investigator to utilize all the informational resources available.
The paragraph emphasizes the importance of utilizing all available sources of information in a fugitive investigation. It states that interviewing the fugitive's associates can provide valuable information about their whereabouts, and other sources such as driver's license or social security number can help determine the alias being used. It also mentions that mail and telephone records can disclose the fugitive's location. Therefore, the statement "The key to any fugitive investigation is for the investigator to utilize all the informational resources available" is best supported by the paragraph.
Question 5: An odometer on a squad car shows that the car has been driven a total of 735 miles during a one week period. What is the average number of miles the car was driven each day during that one week period?
- 105 miles (Correct answer)
- 123 miles
- 147 miles
- 245 miles
Correct answer: 105 miles
The average number of miles the car was driven each day during the one week period can be calculated by dividing the total number of miles driven (735 miles) by the number of days in a week (7 days). Therefore, 735 miles divided by 7 days equals 105 miles per day.
Question 6: Tardiness is reporting for work in excess of 5 minutes beyond the scheduled starting time of the shift or as provided in Police Department rules. Any and all tardiness shall be counted as an “instance”. When an employee reports to work within a period that is more than five (5) minutes after his/her scheduled starting time, and provides an excuse that is acceptable in the sole discretion of Management, the employee may elect to utilize Earned Personal Leave. Election of Earned Personal Leave shall be taken in one (1) hour increments. The utilization of Earned Personal Leave does not negate the tardiness as an instance. An annual period shall be defined as a twelve (12) month period beginning with the occurrence of the employee’s first tardiness instance. Employees shall be disciplined for instances of tardiness in an annual period in accordance with the following schedule: Number of Tardy Instances Discipline 9th instance in annual period............................................................Written warning 10th instance in annual period......................................................... Three (3) day suspension 11th instance in annual period..........................................................Fourteen (14) day suspension 12th instance in annual period... ......................................................Dismissal How is the annual period for determining the total number of tardiness occurrences is defined?
- A 12 month period beginning with the employee’s first tardiness instance. (Correct answer)
- A 12 month period beginning with the first unexcused occurrence of the employee’s first tardiness.
- A 12 month period that follows the fiscal calendar year.
- A 12 month period that begins on January 1st and ends on December 31st.
Correct answer: A 12 month period beginning with the employee’s first tardiness instance.
The annual period for determining the total number of tardiness occurrences is defined as a 12 month period beginning with the employee's first tardiness instance. This means that once an employee is tardy for the first time, the 12 month period starts and any subsequent tardiness instances within that period will be counted towards disciplinary actions.
Question 7: Officer Milton visits local area businesses as part of a theft prevention program. If Officer Milton visits three area businesses every week, except for his three-week vacation, how many groups does he visit in one year?
- 49
- 98
- 147 (Correct answer)
- 150
Correct answer: 147
Officer Milton visits three area businesses every week, except for his three-week vacation. In one year, there are 52 weeks. So, Officer Milton will visit 3 x 52 = 156 area businesses in one year. However, since he takes a three-week vacation, we need to subtract those three weeks. Therefore, the number of groups Officer Milton visits in one year is 156 - 3 = 153. The correct answer is 147, which is the closest option to 153.
Question 8: The First Amendment guarantees freedom of religion, speech and press, as well as the right to assemble peacefully. The Fifth Amendment protects citizens against violations of due process in criminal proceedings. No person may be compelled to testify against him/herself, a grand jury process is required for criminal indictments and double jeopardy is prohibited. The Sixth Amendment guarantees a speedy, fair trial by an impartial jury and the right to counsel in all criminal cases. The Eighth Amendment prohibits excessive bail or fines, as well as cruel or unusual punishment. Which of the following best describes the Fifth Amendment?
- George, who has little money, has a court-appointed lawyer to defend him in his manslaughter trial.
- Because Juan is a flight risk, Judge Bailey has set bail at one million dollars.
- During interrogation, Drew incriminates himself because a lawyer was not present to advise him.
- Manuel, who was found not guilty in the murder of his wife, cannot be tried again after new evidence is found. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Manuel, who was found not guilty in the murder of his wife, cannot be tried again after new evidence is found.
The Fifth Amendment protects citizens against violations of due process in criminal proceedings. It specifically prohibits double jeopardy, which means that a person cannot be tried again for the same crime after being found not guilty. This aligns with the situation described in the answer choice, where Manuel cannot be tried again after new evidence is found, as he has already been acquitted of the murder charge.
Question 9: There were three _______ at the accident scene.
- Witness
- Witnesses (Correct answer)
- Witness’s
Correct answer: Witnesses
The correct answer is "witnesses" because the sentence indicates that there were multiple individuals present at the accident scene who observed the incident. The plural form of the noun "witness" is used to correctly convey this information.
Question 10: The Lieutenant decided ______ was enough evidence to issue an arrest warrant.
- There (Correct answer)
- Their
- They’re
Correct answer: There
The correct answer is "there". In this context, "there" is used as an adverb to indicate the existence or presence of enough evidence. The Lieutenant made the decision based on the available evidence that was sufficient to issue an arrest warrant.
Question 11: On Tuesday, September 18, Officer Daniels investigated a complaint filed by the secretary of an insurance company. Which word in the above sentence is misspelled?
- Tuesday
- September
- Investigated
- Secretary (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Secretary
The word "secretary" is misspelled in the given sentence.
Free MPOETC Basic Police Training Questions and Answers
RULE: Patrol vehicles should be checked at the start of each shift.
Do not assume that the vehicle is in satisfactory condition.
Check all of the lighting equipment, all emergency equipment, siren, engine, oil, transmission fluid, battery, radiator and gasoline levels, tire pressure and condition (including spare), lug wrench, jack, windshield wipers, and windshield washer fluid level.
Check the body of the vehicle for damaged or missing parts and report any problems, damage, or discrepancies to your supervisor.
At the end of your shift, leave the vehicle in optimum condition for emergency use by the next officer.
SITUATION: Officer Burton is about to begin her patrol shift when she discovers that her police vehicle has a large dent in the left rear bumper.
She knows that the vehicle did not have this dent yesterday when she last drove it.
According to the above Rule, Officer Burton should most properly?
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Sources & references
Exam facts on this page (fees, format, dates, passing scores) are checked against these official sources; the date is our last check. Editorial policy
- pa.gov — Passing score, retake policy, eligibility, exam format, score validity, registration, fees · verified Oct 2026