NTN Police Reading Comprehension 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Read the following passage and answer the question. "According to department policy, an officer may use deadly force only when there is an imminent threat of death or serious bodily harm to the officer or another person. The threat must be immediate and not merely anticipated. Officers are also required to de-escalate whenever safely possible before resorting to deadly force." Under what condition does the passage permit the use of deadly force?
- When a suspect refuses to comply with verbal commands
- When there is an imminent threat of death or serious bodily harm (Correct answer)
- When the officer anticipates the suspect may become violent
- When a suspect attempts to flee the scene of a felony
Correct answer: When there is an imminent threat of death or serious bodily harm
The passage states deadly force is only permitted when there is an imminent threat of death or serious bodily harm.
Question 2: Read the following passage and answer the question. "Dispatch received a call at 1430 hours from a caller who reported seeing smoke coming from a neighbor's garage. The caller provided the address as 309 Westfield Drive and stated the garage door was closed. Fire units were notified simultaneously with patrol units. Officers were instructed to secure the perimeter and not enter until fire personnel cleared the scene." What were officers specifically instructed NOT to do?
- Contact the caller for additional information
- Notify fire units about the incident
- Enter the scene until fire personnel cleared it (Correct answer)
- Provide the address of the incident to dispatch
Correct answer: Enter the scene until fire personnel cleared it
The passage states officers were instructed not to enter until fire personnel cleared the scene.
Question 3: Read the following passage and answer the question. "A crime scene log is maintained to record all individuals who enter and exit a crime scene. The log typically includes the person's name, rank or title, time of entry, and time of exit. Maintaining this log helps preserve the integrity of the scene and ensures accountability for who had access to evidence." What is the PRIMARY purpose of maintaining a crime scene log, according to the passage?
- To identify potential suspects who may have revisited the scene
- To satisfy a legal requirement for all criminal investigations
- To preserve scene integrity and ensure accountability for access (Correct answer)
- To track the duration officers spend processing each scene
Correct answer: To preserve scene integrity and ensure accountability for access
The passage states the log helps preserve scene integrity and ensures accountability for who had access to evidence.
Question 4: Read the following passage and answer the question. "An officer's supplemental report read: 'I interviewed the complainant, Ms. Torres, who stated that at approximately 0300 hours she heard glass breaking in her living room. She called 911 and barricaded herself in her bedroom. Upon my arrival at 0318 hours, I observed a shattered window on the front of the residence and found no suspect on scene.'" How much time elapsed between when Ms. Torres heard the glass breaking and when the officer arrived?
- 3 minutes
- 18 minutes (Correct answer)
- 30 minutes
- It cannot be determined from the passage
Correct answer: 18 minutes
The incident occurred at approximately 0300 and the officer arrived at 0318, a difference of 18 minutes.
Question 5: Read the following passage and answer the question. "Professionalism in law enforcement requires officers to treat all individuals with dignity and respect, regardless of personal bias or the nature of the contact. Officers represent the department in every interaction, and public trust depends on consistent, impartial conduct. Unprofessional behavior can damage community relationships and undermine department credibility." According to the passage, what does public trust depend on?
- High arrest and conviction rates in the community
- Officers forming personal connections with community members
- Consistent and impartial conduct during interactions (Correct answer)
- Rigorous training standards and departmental oversight
Correct answer: Consistent and impartial conduct during interactions
The passage directly states that public trust depends on consistent, impartial conduct.
Question 6: Read the following passage and answer the question. "When writing a report, officers should use the active voice whenever possible. Active voice makes writing clearer and easier to understand. For example, 'I observed the suspect flee the scene' is preferable to 'The suspect was observed fleeing the scene by me.' Passive voice can obscure who performed an action, which can be problematic in legal proceedings." Why does the passage recommend avoiding passive voice in police reports?
- Passive voice uses more words and makes reports unnecessarily long
- Active voice is required by department policy in all written communications
- Passive voice can obscure who performed an action, creating legal problems (Correct answer)
- Active voice is easier to translate into other languages for court records
Correct answer: Passive voice can obscure who performed an action, creating legal problems
The passage states passive voice can obscure who performed an action, which can be problematic in legal proceedings.
Question 7: Read the following passage and answer the question. "Officers received a BOLO (Be On the Lookout) for a silver sedan, possibly a Honda Accord, with a cracked rear windshield and a partial plate of 'JKR.' The vehicle was connected to an armed robbery that occurred at 1115 hours. Officers were advised the occupants should be considered armed and dangerous." Which piece of information from the BOLO would be MOST helpful in distinguishing this vehicle from similar silver sedans?
- The vehicle make as possibly a Honda Accord
- The vehicle color described as silver
- The cracked rear windshield (Correct answer)
- The time the robbery occurred
Correct answer: The cracked rear windshield
A cracked rear windshield is a distinctive physical damage feature that would visually set this vehicle apart from other silver sedans.
NTN Police Reading Comprehension 5
Read the following passage and answer the question.
"According to department policy, an officer may use deadly force only when there is an imminent threat of death or serious bodily harm to the officer or another person.
The threat must be immediate and not merely anticipated.
Officers are also required to de-escalate whenever safely possible before resorting to deadly force."
Under what condition does the passage permit the use of deadly force?