Police Work Mathematics Flashcards

Skid marks at a collision scene measure 120 feet. Using the skid mark formula S = √(30 × d × f) where f = 0.70 (friction coefficient for a wet road), what is the approximate pre-braking speed of the vehicle?

Answer: 45 mph

S = √(30 × 120 × 0.70) = √(2520) ≈ 50.2 mph, so approximately 50 mph.

An officer works a 10-hour shift. They spend 35% of the shift on patrol, 25% on calls, 20% on report writing, and 10% on court time. How many hours are spent on patrol?

Answer: 3.5 hours

35% of 10 hours = 0.35 × 10 = 3.5 hours on patrol.

A department has a 1:500 officer-to-resident ratio goal. If a city has 125,000 residents, how many officers does the department need to meet this goal?

Answer: 250

125,000 ÷ 500 = 250 officers needed to meet the 1:500 ratio.

Officers are distributing patrol hours across three precincts based on call volume. Precinct A handles 40% of calls, Precinct B handles 35%, and Precinct C handles 25%. If the department allocates 2,000 patrol hours per month, how many hours go to Precinct B?

Answer: 700 hours

35% of 2,000 = 0.35 × 2,000 = 700 hours allocated to Precinct B.

An officer drives 12 miles to a call at an average speed of 48 mph (with emergency lights). How many minutes does the response take?

Answer: 15 minutes

Time = Distance ÷ Speed = 12 ÷ 48 = 0.25 hours = 0.25 × 60 = 15 minutes.

A department seized 3.5 pounds of marijuana during a search. There are 453.6 grams in one pound. Approximately how many grams of marijuana were seized?

Answer: 1,588 grams

3.5 × 453.6 = 1,587.6 grams, which rounds to approximately 1,588 grams.