PPAER Ethical Judgment 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A officer discovers that a fellow officer has been falsifying overtime records for months. The best course of action is to:
- Ignore it since it doesn't affect you
- Confront the officer privately and give them a chance to self-report
- Report the misconduct to a supervisor immediately (Correct answer)
- Discuss it with other officers to build a consensus first
Correct answer: Report the misconduct to a supervisor immediately
Falsifying records is serious misconduct that must be reported to a supervisor without delay, regardless of personal relationships.
Question 2: You are conducting a traffic stop and the driver offers you cash to let them go. You should:
- Accept it only if the amount is small
- Decline, issue the citation, and report the bribery attempt (Correct answer)
- Decline quietly and let the driver go with a warning
- Ask the driver to follow you somewhere private first
Correct answer: Decline, issue the citation, and report the bribery attempt
Accepting a bribe is illegal; officers must decline, complete enforcement action, and document the attempted bribe.
Question 3: During a domestic disturbance call, you recognize the suspect as your neighbor. The ethical response is to:
- Handle the call but be more lenient given your relationship
- Immediately disclose the conflict of interest and request another officer (Correct answer)
- Proceed normally since the relationship is not official
- Ask the victim to drop the complaint to keep the peace
Correct answer: Immediately disclose the conflict of interest and request another officer
Personal relationships create conflicts of interest that must be disclosed so an unbiased officer can respond.
Question 4: A supervisor orders you to conduct a search that you believe lacks proper legal justification. You should:
- Carry out the order immediately since supervisors are always right
- Refuse the order and walk away without explanation
- Voice your legal concern to the supervisor before proceeding (Correct answer)
- Conduct the search but document your objection afterward
Correct answer: Voice your legal concern to the supervisor before proceeding
Officers have a duty to raise legal concerns before acting; following an unlawful order does not shield an officer from accountability.
Question 5: You witness a colleague use excessive force on a compliant suspect. The most ethical immediate action is to:
- Intervene to stop the force and later report the incident (Correct answer)
- Do nothing to avoid conflict with your colleague
- Tell the suspect they can file a complaint later
- Write an incident report only if someone files a complaint
Correct answer: Intervene to stop the force and later report the incident
Active bystander duty requires officers to intervene when they observe excessive force to protect the suspect and department integrity.
Question 6: You are off-duty and observe what appears to be a drug transaction. The ethical course of action is to:
- Approach the individuals and make an arrest yourself
- Ignore it since you are off-duty and not responsible
- Contact dispatch or on-duty officers to report what you observed (Correct answer)
- Take photos and post them on social media to alert the community
Correct answer: Contact dispatch or on-duty officers to report what you observed
Off-duty officers should report criminal activity through proper channels rather than acting unilaterally without backup or jurisdiction clarity.
Question 7: A community member asks you to use your position to expedite their relative's immigration case. You should:
- Help as a courtesy since it builds community relations
- Explain that using your position for personal favors is improper and decline (Correct answer)
- Refer them to a lawyer but imply you can still help quietly
- Ask your supervisor if an exception can be made
Correct answer: Explain that using your position for personal favors is improper and decline
Using official authority to confer personal benefits on individuals is an abuse of power and must be declined clearly.
PPAER Ethical Judgment 2
A officer discovers that a fellow officer has been falsifying overtime records for months.
The best course of action is to: