OACP Situational Judgement and Ethics 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: You are assigned to investigate a complaint against an officer who is also a close personal friend. What is the most ethical course of action?
- Conduct the investigation professionally since you can remain objective
- Disclose the relationship and recuse yourself from the investigation (Correct answer)
- Ask your friend about the complaint informally before beginning the formal process
- Conduct the investigation but consult your friend before finalizing conclusions
Correct answer: Disclose the relationship and recuse yourself from the investigation
Personal relationships create real or perceived conflicts of interest that require recusal to protect the integrity of the investigation.
Question 2: A suspect in custody requests access to a lawyer but your shift supervisor suggests delaying the call until after questioning. What do you do?
- Follow the supervisor's direction since operational decisions rest with supervisors
- Ensure the suspect's right to counsel is facilitated immediately and document any pressure to delay (Correct answer)
- Allow a short delay if the supervisor provides a written justification
- Ask legal counsel for the department to advise before proceeding
Correct answer: Ensure the suspect's right to counsel is facilitated immediately and document any pressure to delay
The right to retain and instruct counsel without delay is a constitutional right; no supervisory instruction overrides it.
Question 3: You receive an anonymous tip that a fellow officer is operating a side business that may conflict with department policies. What is the appropriate first step?
- Confront the officer directly with the anonymous tip
- Report the information to Professional Standards or your supervisor for proper review (Correct answer)
- Ignore it since anonymous tips are unreliable
- Conduct your own informal inquiry before deciding whether to escalate
Correct answer: Report the information to Professional Standards or your supervisor for proper review
Anonymous tips about potential misconduct should be forwarded to the appropriate unit for assessment rather than investigated informally or ignored.
Question 4: A victim tells you they do not want criminal charges laid against their abuser because they believe the abuser has changed. What should primarily guide your decision on charges?
- The victim's preference, since they are the affected party
- The evidence, applicable law, and Crown charging guidelines rather than solely the victim's wishes (Correct answer)
- The offender's history and likelihood of reoffending
- Whether the victim and offender have entered into a civil agreement
Correct answer: The evidence, applicable law, and Crown charging guidelines rather than solely the victim's wishes
Charging decisions in domestic violence cases are guided by evidence and policy, not solely victim preference, to protect public safety.
Question 5: You learn through social media that a colleague has posted content that is derogatory toward a minority group. The posts were made on a personal account. What should you do?
- Ignore it since personal social media is private and outside police jurisdiction
- Report the conduct to your supervisor or Professional Standards as it may constitute discreditable conduct (Correct answer)
- Send a private message to your colleague advising them to delete the posts
- Monitor the account for further posts before deciding whether to act
Correct answer: Report the conduct to your supervisor or Professional Standards as it may constitute discreditable conduct
Officers are held to conduct standards both on and off duty; publicly posted content reflecting bias can constitute discreditable conduct regardless of the platform.
Question 6: During a search, you find a large amount of cash but no drugs or weapons. The suspect claims the money is legitimate savings. What is the most appropriate action?
- Seize the cash automatically since large amounts indicate criminal activity
- Document the discovery, assess it in context of all evidence, and apply civil forfeiture law only where legally supported (Correct answer)
- Return the cash since no drugs or weapons were found
- Photograph the cash and leave it, noting it in your report for the Crown to decide
Correct answer: Document the discovery, assess it in context of all evidence, and apply civil forfeiture law only where legally supported
Cash alone does not establish criminality; officers must apply forfeiture law judiciously based on the totality of evidence.
Question 7: A newspaper reporter approaches you at a crime scene and asks for details about the victim's identity before next-of-kin have been notified. What do you do?
- Provide the information since media transparency is important
- Decline to release identifying information until next-of-kin have been notified, per standard protocol (Correct answer)
- Provide general information but ask the reporter to delay publishing
- Refer all media queries to the public affairs unit without comment
Correct answer: Decline to release identifying information until next-of-kin have been notified, per standard protocol
Next-of-kin notification is an ethical and procedural obligation that takes precedence over media requests for victim identification.
OACP Situational Judgement and Ethics 5
You are assigned to investigate a complaint against an officer who is also a close personal friend.
What is the most ethical course of action?