JIBC Police Entrance 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An officer discovers a person unconscious in a vehicle with a suspected drug overdose. What is the FIRST priority?
- Request emergency medical services immediately (Correct answer)
- Search the vehicle for drugs before calling EMS
- Arrest the person for drug possession
- Wait for a supervisor before taking action
Correct answer: Request emergency medical services immediately
Preservation of life is always the first priority; EMS must be summoned immediately in a medical emergency.
Question 2: A police recruit is completing a reading comprehension section of the JIBC Police Entrance Exam. Which skill is being assessed?
- Ability to extract meaning, identify facts, and draw inferences from written passages (Correct answer)
- Knowledge of provincial statutes by memory
- Speed of handwriting during note-taking
- Grammar correction in formal police reports
Correct answer: Ability to extract meaning, identify facts, and draw inferences from written passages
Reading comprehension sections assess whether candidates can accurately understand, analyze, and interpret written information relevant to policing.
Question 3: Which of the following is an example of 'officer bias' that can undermine a fair investigation?
- Forming a conclusion before gathering all evidence and filtering information to confirm that conclusion (Correct answer)
- Interviewing multiple witnesses before writing a report
- Consulting a supervisor when unsure of the law
- Documenting all observations in a notebook
Correct answer: Forming a conclusion before gathering all evidence and filtering information to confirm that conclusion
Confirmation bias occurs when an officer fixates on one theory and ignores contradicting evidence, jeopardizing the integrity of the investigation.
Question 4: Under the Police Act in British Columbia, who has oversight responsibility for municipal police departments?
- The provincial government through the Director of Police Services (Correct answer)
- The federal Minister of Justice exclusively
- Local city councils with no provincial involvement
- The RCMP Commissioner
Correct answer: The provincial government through the Director of Police Services
In BC, the Director of Police Services under the Ministry of Public Safety oversees municipal police departments to ensure accountability.
Question 5: When writing a police occurrence report, which principle is MOST important?
- Accuracy and objectivity — record only observed facts without personal opinion (Correct answer)
- Writing a persuasive narrative to support charges
- Using technical legal jargon throughout
- Keeping the report as brief as possible regardless of detail
Correct answer: Accuracy and objectivity — record only observed facts without personal opinion
Police reports must be factual and objective because they are legal documents used in court and by other investigators.
Question 6: What does 'duty of care' mean in the context of a police officer's responsibilities?
- Officers have a legal obligation to take reasonable steps to protect individuals from foreseeable harm (Correct answer)
- Officers must care for all stray animals found on patrol
- Officers must only act when directly ordered by a supervisor
- Officers are liable for every crime that occurs on their beat
Correct answer: Officers have a legal obligation to take reasonable steps to protect individuals from foreseeable harm
Duty of care requires officers to act reasonably to prevent foreseeable harm to persons in their custody or who rely on police protection.
Question 7: A suspect provides a false name to a police officer during a lawful investigation. Which offence may apply in Canada?
- Obstruction of justice under the Criminal Code (Correct answer)
- Perjury
- Contempt of court
- Fraud over $5,000
Correct answer: Obstruction of justice under the Criminal Code
Providing false information to a police officer during a lawful investigation can constitute obstruction of a peace officer under section 129 of the Criminal Code.
JIBC Police Entrance 3
An officer discovers a person unconscious in a vehicle with a suspected drug overdose.
What is the FIRST priority?