Police Test Police Test Evidence and Investigation 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the primary purpose of the chain of custody in evidence handling?
- To document who had control of evidence at all times (Correct answer)
- To speed up evidence processing
- To allow multiple officers to access evidence freely
- To reduce paperwork requirements
Correct answer: To document who had control of evidence at all times
Chain of custody documents every person who handled evidence to preserve its integrity and admissibility in court.
Question 2: When collecting trace evidence at a crime scene, an officer should use:
- Bare hands to avoid contaminating containers
- Tweezers and paper envelopes or bags (Correct answer)
- A vacuum cleaner for efficiency
- Tape only, regardless of evidence type
Correct answer: Tweezers and paper envelopes or bags
Tweezers prevent contamination from skin contact, and paper envelopes allow moisture to escape, preserving biological trace evidence.
Question 3: Which of the following best describes 'probable cause' in the context of a search?
- A hunch based on prior experience
- A reasonable belief based on articulable facts that evidence of a crime will be found (Correct answer)
- Permission granted by a supervisor
- Any suspicion that justifies further investigation
Correct answer: A reasonable belief based on articulable facts that evidence of a crime will be found
Probable cause requires articulable facts that would lead a reasonable person to believe evidence of a crime exists.
Question 4: A detective discovers a witness is willing to testify but lives out of state. The proper tool to compel that witness to appear is a:
- Subpoena (Correct answer)
- Arrest warrant
- Search warrant
- Grand jury indictment
Correct answer: Subpoena
A subpoena is a legal order compelling a person to appear and testify in court proceedings.
Question 5: Under the exclusionary rule, evidence obtained through an illegal search is:
- Admissible if corroborated by other evidence
- Generally inadmissible in a criminal prosecution (Correct answer)
- Admissible at the discretion of the prosecutor
- Always admitted when the crime is serious
Correct answer: Generally inadmissible in a criminal prosecution
The exclusionary rule bars evidence obtained in violation of the Fourth Amendment from being used in a criminal prosecution.
Question 6: When photographing a crime scene, officers should first take:
- Close-up photos of specific items of evidence
- Identification photos of suspects on scene
- Overall/wide-angle photos to establish context before close-ups (Correct answer)
- Photos only of items they intend to collect
Correct answer: Overall/wide-angle photos to establish context before close-ups
Crime scene photography should proceed from general to specific — wide shots establish context before mid-range and close-up images are taken.
Police Test Police Test Evidence and Investigation 1
What is the primary purpose of the chain of custody in evidence handling?