POST Situational Judgment and Ethics 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: You respond to a call where a visibly intoxicated person is creating a disturbance. They are not violent but cannot care for themselves. The best action is:
- Arrest them for public intoxication and book them into jail
- Leave them with instructions to go home
- Take them into protective custody or connect them with appropriate services (Correct answer)
- Issue a citation and release them on the scene
Correct answer: Take them into protective custody or connect them with appropriate services
Officers have a duty of care to protect individuals who cannot care for themselves due to intoxication, including arranging protective custody or services.
Question 2: During an investigation, you develop a personal bias against the suspect based on their past criminal history. How should you handle this?
- Trust your instincts since experience informs good judgment
- Acknowledge the bias and focus solely on current evidence (Correct answer)
- Request a different officer take over the investigation
- Use the past history as probable cause for the current investigation
Correct answer: Acknowledge the bias and focus solely on current evidence
Officers must separate past history from current evidence, ensuring investigations are based on facts rather than personal bias.
Question 3: A juvenile suspect you have in custody starts crying and asks to speak with their parent before answering questions. You should:
- Continue questioning since the suspect initiated the conversation
- Stop questioning immediately and allow contact with a parent or guardian (Correct answer)
- Tell the juvenile the parent will be called after they answer a few questions
- Explain that parental contact is only required at booking, not during questioning
Correct answer: Stop questioning immediately and allow contact with a parent or guardian
Juveniles have enhanced rights during custodial interrogation, including the right to have a parent or guardian present before questioning.
Question 4: You are the first officer on scene at a major accident. The highest priority action is:
- Secure the scene perimeter and wait for additional units
- Begin gathering witness statements
- Ensure scene safety and provide immediate aid to injured parties (Correct answer)
- Photograph the scene to preserve evidence
Correct answer: Ensure scene safety and provide immediate aid to injured parties
Life safety is always the first priority at any incident scene; securing the area and aiding injured parties precedes evidence collection.
Question 5: A colleague asks you to falsify a small detail in a report to make a case stronger. They argue the suspect is clearly guilty. How do you respond?
- Agree, since the outcome justifies the means
- Decline and explain that report accuracy is non-negotiable regardless of guilt (Correct answer)
- Report your colleague to internal affairs immediately
- Suggest using vague language that doesn't technically lie
Correct answer: Decline and explain that report accuracy is non-negotiable regardless of guilt
Report accuracy is a cornerstone of police integrity; falsifying any detail, regardless of intent, is misconduct and potentially criminal.
Question 6: You conduct a stop-and-frisk and find no weapons but notice what might be drug paraphernalia. You should:
- Seize the paraphernalia since you are already legally in contact with the person
- End the stop since your original justification is resolved
- Assess whether you have independent reasonable suspicion to extend the stop (Correct answer)
- Search the person's vehicle since the frisk expanded the scope of the stop
Correct answer: Assess whether you have independent reasonable suspicion to extend the stop
A frisk for weapons does not automatically authorize seizure of other items unless there is independent legal justification for extending the stop.
Question 7: A victim of a crime tells you they do not wish to press charges. What is the most appropriate response?
- Close the case since the victim has no interest in prosecution
- Explain that the decision to prosecute rests with the prosecutor, not the victim (Correct answer)
- Pressure the victim to change their mind for the public good
- Make no report since the victim has declined to participate
Correct answer: Explain that the decision to prosecute rests with the prosecutor, not the victim
Criminal prosecution is a function of the state, and the decision belongs to the prosecutor; officers must still document and report the crime.
POST Situational Judgment and Ethics 3
You respond to a call where a visibly intoxicated person is creating a disturbance.
They are not violent but cannot care for themselves.
The best action is: