POST - Peace Officer Standards and Training Community Policing Principles Questions and Answers

Question 1

Which of the following best defines the core philosophy of community policing?

Accepted Answer

A philosophy that promotes organizational strategies to proactively address the causes of crime through partnerships and problem-solving.

Answer

A reactive, incident-driven approach focused on making arrests to suppress crime.

Answer

A specialized tactic used only for community events and public relations.

Answer

A model where law enforcement operates independently from the community to maintain impartiality.

Question 2

An officer is assigned to a neighborhood experiencing a high rate of daytime residential burglaries. Instead of only increasing patrols, the officer organizes meetings with residents, partners with the local hardware store for discounted security products, and works with the parks department to trim overgrown bushes that obstruct views. This approach is an example of which key component of community policing?

Accepted Answer

Problem-Solving

Answer

Organizational Transformation

Answer

Incident Command System

Answer

Traditional Policing

Question 3

The SARA model is a common approach used in community policing. What does the 'A' in SARA stand for?

Accepted Answer

Assessment

Answer

Arrest

Answer

Action

Answer

Authority

Question 4

For community policing to be successfully implemented, a law enforcement agency must undergo 'Organizational Transformation.' Which of the following is a key element of this transformation?

Accepted Answer

Aligning agency management, structure, and training to support community partnerships and proactive problem-solving.

Answer

Centralizing all decision-making authority at the highest command level.

Answer

Focusing performance evaluations solely on arrest and citation statistics.

Answer

Increasing the separation between patrol officers and specialized detective units.

Question 5

Which of the following is a primary goal of forming community partnerships in a community policing strategy?

Accepted Answer

To build trust and facilitate a two-way flow of information to collaboratively address public safety issues.

Answer

To delegate law enforcement responsibilities to citizen groups.

Answer

To increase the number of arrests through citizen informants.

Answer

To create a clear separation between police duties and community concerns.

Question 6

A traditional policing model is often described as reactive, while community policing is considered proactive. Which of the following best illustrates this difference?

Accepted Answer

A traditional officer responds to a 911 call, while a community policing officer works with residents to figure out why 911 is being called repeatedly for the same issue.

Answer

Traditional policing focuses on service calls, while community policing focuses only on felony crimes.

Answer

Traditional policing relies on foot patrols, while community policing relies exclusively on vehicle patrols.

Answer

A traditional officer builds rapport with business owners, while a community policing officer focuses only on enforcement.