NTN Police Observation and Recall 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An officer on patrol notices a parked van on a street where burglaries have been occurring. The van has no front license plate, tinted windows, and the engine appears to have been running recently (heat shimmer visible). Which observation is MOST legally significant?
- The tinted windows
- The missing front license plate (Correct answer)
- The recent engine activity
- The location near prior burglaries
Correct answer: The missing front license plate
A missing front license plate is a specific, articulable violation that provides legal justification for a contact, unlike the other contextual observations.
Question 2: During a traffic stop, an officer notices the driver's hands are shaking, there is a strong odor of alcohol, and the passenger is avoiding eye contact. For the report, these observations should be documented as:
- Evidence that the driver is intoxicated
- Officer's subjective impressions of driver behavior
- Objective observations noted by the officer (Correct answer)
- Probable cause for arrest
Correct answer: Objective observations noted by the officer
Reports must document observable facts as objective observations; conclusions like 'intoxicated' are for charging documents and court testimony.
Question 3: You respond to a reported disturbance and observe a crowd of approximately 15 people. Later you are asked how many people were present. Your best answer should be:
- Exactly 15 — you counted them at the time
- Approximately 15, based on your on-scene estimate (Correct answer)
- More than 10 but fewer than 20, since crowd counts are imprecise
- You cannot testify to crowd size without a video recording
Correct answer: Approximately 15, based on your on-scene estimate
An honest estimate with appropriate qualifier ('approximately') is both accurate and credible testimony.
Question 4: At a robbery scene, you observe a shattered display case, cash register open and empty, and a single muddy boot print near the exit. In what order should you prioritize documenting these observations?
- Most permanent evidence first, then perishable evidence
- Perishable evidence first (boot print), then more permanent evidence (Correct answer)
- In the order you physically encounter them walking through
- Photograph everything simultaneously before documenting anything
Correct answer: Perishable evidence first (boot print), then more permanent evidence
Perishable or fragile evidence like footprints must be documented and protected first because it can be destroyed by weather, foot traffic, or time.
Question 5: While canvassing after a shooting, a witness tells you she 'heard two or three shots' from 'maybe half a block away.' How should you record this in your report?
- Witness reported hearing 2-3 gunshots from approximately half a block away (Correct answer)
- Witness heard 3 gunshots from half a block away
- Witness reported hearing shots nearby — exact number and distance unknown
- Witness heard gunfire in the area
Correct answer: Witness reported hearing 2-3 gunshots from approximately half a block away
Accurate reporting preserves the witness's own hedged language, capturing both the approximate count and approximate distance.
Question 6: An officer is shown a suspect lineup six hours after witnessing an assault. Research on eyewitness memory suggests the officer's identification will be MOST reliable if:
- The officer reviews notes taken immediately after the incident before viewing the lineup
- The lineup is conducted by an officer who does not know which position the suspect is in (Correct answer)
- The officer is shown the suspect alone before the lineup to confirm recognition
- Multiple officers view the lineup together and reach a consensus
Correct answer: The lineup is conducted by an officer who does not know which position the suspect is in
A double-blind lineup administered by someone unaware of the suspect's position eliminates administrator influence and produces more reliable identifications.
Question 7: During a vehicle pursuit, an officer observes the fleeing car strike a parked vehicle, turn left on Oak Street, and then turn right into an alley. When radioing this information, the officer should convey:
- The most recent location only, since earlier positions are no longer relevant
- The collision, then the left turn onto Oak, then the right into the alley — in chronological order (Correct answer)
- Only the alley location so units can set up a perimeter
- General direction of travel without specific street names to avoid confusion
Correct answer: The collision, then the left turn onto Oak, then the right into the alley — in chronological order
Providing a chronological sequence of locations gives dispatch and responding units a movement trail to intercept or anticipate the vehicle's direction.
NTN Police Observation and Recall 5
An officer on patrol notices a parked van on a street where burglaries have been occurring.
The van has no front license plate, tinted windows, and the engine appears to have been running recently (heat shimmer visible).
Which observation is MOST legally significant?