Police Officer Law Enforcement Mathematics 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A police department has 240 officers and needs to staff 3 patrol shifts equally. How many officers will be assigned per shift?
- 80 (Correct answer)
- 60
- 90
- 75
Correct answer: 80
240 officers divided by 3 shifts equals 80 officers per shift.
240 divided by 3 equals 80 officers per shift. This type of resource allocation math is common in police administration. When staffing calculations involve remainders, supervisors must decide how to handle the unequal distribution, often assigning additional officers to high-demand shifts.
Question 2: An officer drives 45 miles per hour for 2 hours and 30 minutes. How many miles does the officer travel?
- 112.5 miles (Correct answer)
- 90 miles
- 97.5 miles
- 135 miles
Correct answer: 112.5 miles
2 hours 30 minutes equals 2.5 hours. Distance equals speed times time: 45 times 2.5 equals 112.5 miles.
The distance formula is D = S x T. Converting 2 hours 30 minutes to 2.5 hours, then multiplying: 45 mph x 2.5 hours = 112.5 miles. Converting mixed time units to decimals before calculating is essential.
Question 3: A property room has 150 pieces of evidence. During an audit, 18% are found to be eligible for destruction. How many pieces may be destroyed?
- 27 (Correct answer)
- 18
- 25
- 30
Correct answer: 27
18% of 150 = 0.18 x 150 = 27 pieces of evidence.
To find a percentage of a number: convert the percentage to a decimal (18% = 0.18) and multiply by the total (0.18 x 150 = 27). Percentage calculations are used throughout law enforcement for statistics, crime rate analysis, staffing percentages, and budget allocations.
Question 4: An officer worked 3 overtime shifts of 4 hours each and 2 overtime shifts of 6 hours each. What is the total overtime?
- 24 hours (Correct answer)
- 20 hours
- 22 hours
- 18 hours
Correct answer: 24 hours
3 shifts x 4 hours = 12 hours, plus 2 shifts x 6 hours = 12 hours. Total: 12 + 12 = 24 hours.
This problem requires two multiplications and one addition: (3 x 4) + (2 x 6) = 12 + 12 = 24 hours of total overtime. Officers must accurately track overtime for payroll purposes. Errors in overtime calculations cost departments money and can result in labor disputes.
Question 5: A crime statistic report shows that theft incidents increased from 200 to 250 over one year. What is the percentage increase?
- 25% (Correct answer)
- 20%
- 50%
- 30%
Correct answer: 25%
Percentage increase = (new - old) / old x 100 = (250 - 200) / 200 x 100 = 25%.
The percentage change formula is: ((New Value - Old Value) / Old Value) x 100. Here: ((250 - 200) / 200) x 100 = 25%. Percentage change calculations are fundamental to crime analysis and are frequently used in CompStat meetings and budget justifications.
Question 6: A police vehicle travels 300 miles and uses 12 gallons of fuel. What is the vehicle's fuel efficiency in miles per gallon?
- 25 mpg (Correct answer)
- 30 mpg
- 24 mpg
- 28 mpg
Correct answer: 25 mpg
Miles per gallon = total miles divided by total gallons = 300 divided by 12 = 25 mpg.
Fuel efficiency (mpg) = Total Miles / Total Gallons = 300 / 12 = 25 mpg. Officers and fleet managers use mpg calculations to monitor vehicle performance, project fuel costs, and identify vehicles needing maintenance.
Police Officer Law Enforcement Mathematics 2
A police department has 240 officers and needs to staff 3 patrol shifts equally.
How many officers will be assigned per shift?