Law Enforcement Community Policing and Ethics 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An officer responds repeatedly to noise complaints on the same block. Which community policing strategy best addresses the underlying issue?
- Issue citations each time to deter offenders
- Identify and solve the root cause through problem-oriented policing (Correct answer)
- Increase random patrols in the area
- Refer all calls to dispatch supervisors
Correct answer: Identify and solve the root cause through problem-oriented policing
Problem-oriented policing targets the root cause rather than treating recurring symptoms.
Question 2: What does the SARA model used in community policing stand for?
- Stop, Arrest, Report, Assess
- Scanning, Analysis, Response, Assessment (Correct answer)
- Survey, Analyze, React, Adjust
- Search, Apprehend, Record, Archive
Correct answer: Scanning, Analysis, Response, Assessment
SARA stands for Scanning, Analysis, Response, and Assessment, a problem-solving framework.
Question 3: An officer is offered a free meal by a restaurant owner who expects faster police response. This best illustrates:
- Acceptable community goodwill
- A gratuity creating a conflict of interest (Correct answer)
- Standard community partnership
- A lawful endorsement
Correct answer: A gratuity creating a conflict of interest
Accepting gratuities tied to expectations creates a conflict of interest and ethical concern.
Question 4: Which is a core principle of procedural justice in policing?
- Treating people with fairness, voice, and respect (Correct answer)
- Maximizing arrest statistics
- Prioritizing officer convenience
- Limiting public explanations of decisions
Correct answer: Treating people with fairness, voice, and respect
Procedural justice emphasizes fairness, giving people a voice, neutrality, and respect.
Question 5: An officer witnesses a fellow officer using excessive force. The ethical duty to intervene requires the officer to:
- Ignore it to maintain unit loyalty
- Step in to stop the misconduct and report it (Correct answer)
- Wait until a supervisor asks about it
- Discuss it informally later
Correct answer: Step in to stop the misconduct and report it
The duty to intervene obligates officers to actively stop and report misconduct.
Question 6: Foot patrols in neighborhoods primarily benefit community policing by:
- Reducing fuel costs
- Building familiarity and trust between officers and residents (Correct answer)
- Increasing ticket revenue
- Eliminating the need for investigations
Correct answer: Building familiarity and trust between officers and residents
Foot patrols increase personal contact, building familiarity and trust with residents.
Question 7: A community partnership in policing is best described as:
- Police acting independently of residents
- Collaborative relationships between police and community groups to address concerns (Correct answer)
- A formal arrest agreement
- A government surveillance program
Correct answer: Collaborative relationships between police and community groups to address concerns
Community partnerships are collaborative relationships to jointly identify and solve problems.
Law Enforcement Community Policing and Ethics 2
An officer responds repeatedly to noise complaints on the same block.
Which community policing strategy best addresses the underlying issue?