Situational Judgement Scenarios Flashcards

You are writing an incident report and realize you made a factual error in an earlier paragraph. How should you handle this?

Answer: Correct the error with a strikethrough on the original text, initial it, and note the correction clearly

Official police reports require transparent corrections that preserve the original text and clearly mark amendments.

A teenager flags you down and says their friend has been missing for two hours after a fight with their parents. The parents say the teen just ran away and will return. What do you do?

Answer: Take a missing person report, assess the risk level, and begin initial enquiries regardless of parental opinion

Any missing person involving a youth requires immediate assessment and reporting, as risk factors may not be immediately obvious.

Your sergeant instructs you to clear outstanding calls quickly because the shift is almost over. You still have a report of suspicious activity that you have not attended. What do you do?

Answer: Attend the call, complete your duty, and advise your sergeant of the status

Clearing a call without attending is dishonest and violates duty requirements regardless of shift pressures.

While reviewing surveillance footage for an unrelated case, you spot a colleague committing what appears to be theft from an evidence locker. What should you do?

Answer: Preserve the footage, document your observations, and report immediately to Professional Standards or a supervisor above the involved officer

Evidence of officer misconduct must be preserved and reported immediately through the proper internal oversight channels.

You are involved in a use-of-force incident that results in injury to a subject. Your supervisor arrives and asks you to brief them before you write your report. What is the correct approach?

Answer: Provide a brief situational update to your supervisor but write a complete, independent, and accurate report based solely on your own recollection

Each officer must write their own independent report to ensure accountability and avoid collaborative memory distortion.

You pull over a vehicle and the driver presents a diplomatic passport. They are clearly impaired. What is the most appropriate action?

Answer: Do not arrest but document the incident, note the diplomatic credentials, prevent the driver from continuing if safe to do so, and notify your supervisor and Foreign Affairs protocol

Diplomatic immunity generally prevents arrest, but officers can take safety measures and must follow protocol for reporting such incidents.

A victim of human trafficking is found during a hotel check. They appear frightened and deny being a victim when you ask directly. What should you do?

Answer: Continue to engage compassionately, speak with them privately away from any potential trafficker, and use trauma-informed indicators to assess the situation

Trafficking victims often deny their situation due to fear or coercion; trained officers use trauma-informed approaches to assess and support them.