LEAB Problem Sensitivity Analysis 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A neighbor reports that a house on her street has had all curtains drawn for two weeks, mail piling up in the box, and lights on a timer every night. Which element is MOST indicative of a potential welfare problem?
- Curtains drawn for two consecutive weeks
- Lights activating on a timer every night
- Mail accumulating in the mailbox (Correct answer)
- No visible activity during daytime hours
Correct answer: Mail accumulating in the mailbox
Accumulating mail is the strongest indicator of an absent or incapacitated occupant who has not arranged for mail hold.
Question 2: Officer Torres notices a teenager she regularly sees walking to school now appears weekly with expensive new electronics and is always accompanied by unfamiliar older adults. This MOST LIKELY suggests:
- The teenager received gifts from extended family members
- The teenager has recently obtained a legitimate part-time job
- The teenager's social circle has naturally expanded
- The teenager may be involved in criminal activity with older associates (Correct answer)
Correct answer: The teenager may be involved in criminal activity with older associates
The combination of sudden unexplained wealth and regular association with older adults is a classic indicator of exploitation or criminal involvement.
Question 3: During patrol, you observe two men who have been sitting in a parked car for 45 minutes near a bank — one systematically watching the entrance while the other is on a phone. The MOST significant problem indicator is:
- The phone call being made inside the vehicle
- The total time the vehicle has been parked in one spot
- One person systematically watching the bank entrance (Correct answer)
- The time of day the observation is being made
Correct answer: One person systematically watching the bank entrance
Directed, sustained surveillance of a bank entrance is a strong pre-robbery indicator that distinguishes this from ordinary loitering.
Question 4: A domestic disturbance call reveals adult children who refuse eye contact with officers and answer all questions before their parent can respond. This MOST LIKELY indicates:
- Cultural deference toward law enforcement authority figures
- Possible intimidation or coercion within the household dynamic (Correct answer)
- The children are trying to protect the parent from legal consequences
- Language barriers requiring the children to interpret for the parent
Correct answer: Possible intimidation or coercion within the household dynamic
Adults controlling all communication and preventing another person from speaking freely is a recognized indicator of coercion or domestic abuse.
Question 5: A school resource officer receives three separate reports in one week that the same student has asked classmates for money, citing a different emergency each time. This pattern MOST LIKELY suggests:
- The student's family is experiencing genuine compounding financial hardship
- The student is disorganized and forgot about previous requests
- The student may be running a deliberate small-scale deception scheme (Correct answer)
- The student has multiple unrelated genuine emergencies in one week
Correct answer: The student may be running a deliberate small-scale deception scheme
Repeated, varied pretextual requests for money from different victims in a short window is consistent with intentional fraud rather than coincidence.
Question 6: While canvassing after a burglary, you meet a neighbor who volunteers unusually detailed information about residents' daily schedules, departure times, and upcoming vacations. This MOST LIKELY suggests:
- The neighbor has an exceptional memory and is being cooperative
- The neighbor may have conducted prior surveillance of the victim's home (Correct answer)
- The neighbor is highly invested in the safety of the community
- The neighbor holds a formal neighborhood watch leadership role
Correct answer: The neighbor may have conducted prior surveillance of the victim's home
Unsolicited, operationally specific knowledge about a victim's patterns that would only be gathered through deliberate observation is a red flag.
Question 7: A patrol officer observes a woman walking with a limp, wearing long sleeves in hot weather, who flinches when her male companion reaches toward her arm. Which assessment MOST strongly indicates a problem requiring follow-up?
- The limp and weather-inappropriate clothing alone
- The flinching reaction to the companion's touch alone
- The companion's physical proximity and controlling body language
- All three physical and behavioral cues assessed together (Correct answer)
Correct answer: All three physical and behavioral cues assessed together
No single indicator is definitive, but the combined presence of potential injury signs, protective clothing, and a conditioned fear response creates a strong overall indicator of abuse.
LEAB Problem Sensitivity Analysis 2
A neighbor reports that a house on her street has had all curtains drawn for two weeks, mail piling up in the box, and lights on a timer every night.
Which element is MOST indicative of a potential welfare problem?