LAPD Reading Comprehension Skills 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A field report states: 'Upon arrival, Officer Chen observed the front door ajar, lights on inside, and a broken window on the east side of the residence. No occupants responded to announcements.' What does this scene MOST suggest?
- The occupants are asleep inside
- The residence may have been burglarized or is the scene of a crime (Correct answer)
- The broken window was caused by weather
- The occupants left voluntarily through the front door
Correct answer: The residence may have been burglarized or is the scene of a crime
Multiple indicators — ajar door, broken window, no response — suggest a possible burglary or crime scene.
Question 2: Read the following policy excerpt: 'Officers shall not release the name of a victim of a sexual assault to the media or public without the expressed written consent of the victim.' An officer is asked by a reporter for the victim's name in a sexual assault case. The officer should:
- Provide the name only if the case is closed
- Decline to release the name without the victim's written consent (Correct answer)
- Refer the reporter to the Watch Commander, who can release the name
- Release the name only if the victim was not injured
Correct answer: Decline to release the name without the victim's written consent
Policy requires expressed written consent from the victim before releasing their name in sexual assault cases.
Question 3: A robbery victim states: 'He grabbed my purse and ran. I'm pretty sure he had a gun — I saw something in his waistband.' How should this statement be classified?
- Confirmed fact: the suspect was armed
- Unconfirmed: the victim believes the suspect may have been armed (Correct answer)
- Irrelevant: the victim cannot confirm a weapon was used
- Hearsay: the victim is speculating
Correct answer: Unconfirmed: the victim believes the suspect may have been armed
The victim expresses belief based on what she saw but did not confirm a firearm, making it an unconfirmed observation.
Question 4: The following passage appears in an LAPD training manual: 'De-escalation techniques should be employed whenever tactically feasible before resorting to force. Feasibility is determined by the totality of circumstances present at the scene.' What does 'totality of circumstances' most likely mean?
- The total number of officers on scene
- All relevant factors of the situation considered together (Correct answer)
- The legal statutes applicable to the incident
- The total duration of the encounter
Correct answer: All relevant factors of the situation considered together
'Totality of circumstances' refers to evaluating all relevant factors of a situation collectively rather than in isolation.
Question 5: A dispatch log reads: 'Unit 7-Adam-15 responded to 415 call at 0232 hours. Unit cleared at 0318 hours. Unit 7-Adam-22 requested backup at 0310 hours.' Based on this log, which unit was available to respond to the backup request at 0310?
- 7-Adam-15 only, as they had not yet cleared
- 7-Adam-22, which requested its own backup
- Neither unit was available
- 7-Adam-15 was still on scene and potentially available (Correct answer)
Correct answer: 7-Adam-15 was still on scene and potentially available
7-Adam-15 cleared at 0318, meaning they were still on their call at 0310 but potentially nearby and available.
Question 6: A court subpoena states: 'You are commanded to appear at the above-referenced court on the date and time specified to provide testimony regarding your personal knowledge of the incident described herein. Failure to comply may result in contempt of court.' What is the main purpose of this document?
- To inform the recipient of a pending lawsuit against them
- To legally require the recipient to testify in court (Correct answer)
- To request a voluntary statement from the recipient
- To notify the recipient of their right to remain silent
Correct answer: To legally require the recipient to testify in court
A subpoena legally compels an individual to appear and testify, as stated in the document.
Question 7: A suspect's statement reads: 'I was at my cousin's place all night. We watched movies until like midnight, then I slept there. I didn't leave until around 9 AM.' The crime occurred at 2:30 AM at a location 5 miles from the cousin's home. What is the significance of this statement to the investigation?
- It conclusively eliminates the suspect
- It provides a potential alibi that investigators should verify (Correct answer)
- It proves the suspect is lying
- It has no relevance to the investigation
Correct answer: It provides a potential alibi that investigators should verify
The statement is a potential alibi that must be corroborated or refuted through investigation before any conclusions can be drawn.
LAPD Reading Comprehension Skills 3
A field report states: 'Upon arrival, Officer Chen observed the front door ajar, lights on inside, and a broken window on the east side of the residence.
No occupants responded to announcements.' What does this scene MOST suggest?