MPOETC Communication & Documentation 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A 10-4 radio code most commonly means:
- Negative / No
- Acknowledgment / Understood (Correct answer)
- Officer needs assistance
- Return to the station
Correct answer: Acknowledgment / Understood
10-4 is a standard radio code meaning 'acknowledgment' or 'message received and understood.'
Question 2: When completing a use-of-force report, the officer must document:
- Only the outcome of the force used
- The level of resistance, force used, and resulting injuries (Correct answer)
- A brief summary without specific details
- Only injuries sustained by the officer
Correct answer: The level of resistance, force used, and resulting injuries
Use-of-force reports require comprehensive documentation of the subject's resistance level, the force response, and all resulting injuries to both parties.
Question 3: Which of the following best describes 'chain of custody' documentation?
- A record of all officers who responded to an incident
- A chronological record tracking evidence from collection to court (Correct answer)
- Documentation of supervisor approvals for a report
- A log of all communications during an investigation
Correct answer: A chronological record tracking evidence from collection to court
Chain of custody is a legal record documenting who collected, handled, transferred, and stored evidence to ensure its integrity.
Question 4: What is the primary purpose of a field interview (FI) card?
- To formally charge a suspect with a crime
- To document a contact with a suspicious person for future reference (Correct answer)
- To serve as an arrest warrant
- To record an officer's personal observations unrelated to a call
Correct answer: To document a contact with a suspicious person for future reference
Field interview cards record information about suspicious individuals contacted by officers, creating a database useful for future investigations.
Question 5: An officer must relay a suspect's vehicle description over the radio. Which order is standard?
- License plate, color, make, model, year
- Year, make, model, color, license plate
- Color, year, make, model, license plate (Correct answer)
- Make, model, license plate, color, year
Correct answer: Color, year, make, model, license plate
The standard order for broadcasting a vehicle description is color, year, make, model, then license plate number.
Question 6: Why are abbreviations in police reports generally discouraged?
- They save time but increase report length
- They may be misunderstood by courts, attorneys, or other agencies (Correct answer)
- They are not permitted under Pennsylvania law
- They make reports appear informal but are otherwise acceptable
Correct answer: They may be misunderstood by courts, attorneys, or other agencies
Abbreviations can be misinterpreted by courts, defense attorneys, prosecutors, or officers from other jurisdictions, potentially harming a case.
Question 7: When broadcasting a suspect description, which physical trait should be mentioned FIRST?
- Eye color
- Race and sex (Correct answer)
- Shoe size
- Tattoos or distinguishing marks
Correct answer: Race and sex
Race and sex are the broadest identifiers that help officers quickly narrow the search, so they are listed first in a suspect description broadcast.
MPOETC Communication & Documentation 3
A 10-4 radio code most commonly means: