OACP Problem-Solving Scenarios 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: You are tasked with reducing break-and-enter incidents in a residential neighbourhood. Which problem-solving model best structures your approach?
- Reactive patrol only, responding as calls come in
- The SARA model: Scanning, Analysis, Response, Assessment (Correct answer)
- Issuing arrest quotas for officers in the area
- Conducting random searches of suspicious-looking individuals
Correct answer: The SARA model: Scanning, Analysis, Response, Assessment
The SARA model provides a structured, evidence-based framework for identifying, analyzing, addressing, and evaluating persistent crime problems.
Question 2: A witness to a robbery provides a description that conflicts with a description given by a second witness. How should an investigator handle the discrepancy?
- Use only the first witness account and disregard the second
- Average the two descriptions and use the composite
- Document both accounts accurately, note the discrepancies, and continue gathering evidence to corroborate either account (Correct answer)
- Charge both witnesses with providing false information
Correct answer: Document both accounts accurately, note the discrepancies, and continue gathering evidence to corroborate either account
Witness accounts commonly differ due to stress and perception; documenting all versions accurately protects the investigation's integrity.
Question 3: An officer discovers a fellow officer has been falsifying arrest reports. What is the mandatory obligation?
- Confront the officer privately and give them a chance to correct the reports before telling anyone
- Report the misconduct through the appropriate internal reporting channels immediately (Correct answer)
- Ignore the issue to maintain team cohesion
- Advise the officer to resign quietly
Correct answer: Report the misconduct through the appropriate internal reporting channels immediately
Officers have a legal and ethical duty to report misconduct; failing to do so can itself constitute a disciplinary or criminal offence.
Question 4: A complainant reports that their vehicle was stolen overnight. Upon investigation you determine the vehicle was towed by the city for a bylaw violation. What is the most professional resolution?
- File a stolen vehicle report anyway to satisfy the complainant
- Confirm the tow through city records, inform the complainant, and clear the stolen vehicle entry from the system (Correct answer)
- Charge the complainant with filing a false report
- Ignore the call since no crime occurred
Correct answer: Confirm the tow through city records, inform the complainant, and clear the stolen vehicle entry from the system
Confirming facts through records and informing the complainant prevents a false stolen vehicle report from remaining active in police databases.
Question 5: You are first on scene at a reported stabbing. The suspect has fled and the victim is conscious and speaking. What is your immediate priority sequence?
- Collect witness statements first to identify the suspect
- Secure the scene perimeter, call for EMS, render first aid, then gather a quick description of the suspect for broadcast (Correct answer)
- Pursue the fleeing suspect immediately
- Photograph the victim's wounds before EMS arrives
Correct answer: Secure the scene perimeter, call for EMS, render first aid, then gather a quick description of the suspect for broadcast
Life safety and scene security take precedence, and an early suspect description broadcast maximizes the chance of apprehension.
Question 6: Community members report that drug activity is concentrated around a specific transit stop between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. Which targeted strategy best addresses the problem?
- Close the transit stop permanently
- Deploy focused patrol resources during peak hours, engage transit authority, and connect with outreach workers (Correct answer)
- Conduct mass arrests of everyone at the stop during those hours
- Install surveillance and take no other action
Correct answer: Deploy focused patrol resources during peak hours, engage transit authority, and connect with outreach workers
Hot-spot policing paired with inter-agency collaboration addresses both the enforcement and social factors driving the drug activity.
Question 7: After resolving a complex neighbourhood dispute involving multiple parties, what is the most important final step in the problem-solving process?
- Submit the report and move on to the next call with no further review
- Conduct an assessment to determine whether the intervention reduced the problem and identify what worked (Correct answer)
- Declare the problem solved without gathering feedback
- Transfer the file to another officer for independent review only
Correct answer: Conduct an assessment to determine whether the intervention reduced the problem and identify what worked
The assessment phase of SARA ensures officers learn from outcomes and refine strategies, contributing to continuous improvement in policing effectiveness.
OACP Problem-Solving Scenarios 5
You are tasked with reducing break-and-enter incidents in a residential neighbourhood.
Which problem-solving model best structures your approach?