SSPO Situational Judgment and Reasoning 5

Question 1

You are dispatched to a welfare check on an elderly resident. Upon arrival, you smell a strong odor and no one answers the door. What is the BEST course of action?

Accepted Answer

Attempt contact through windows and neighbors, notify a supervisor, and if exigent circumstances are confirmed, make entry.

Answer

Leave a note and return the next day.

Answer

Force entry immediately without any further attempt at contact.

Answer

Call the family and wait indefinitely for them to respond.

Question 2

During a traffic stop, the driver tells you they have a legally registered firearm in the glove box. What is the MOST appropriate response?

Accepted Answer

Calmly ask the driver to keep their hands visible, advise them not to reach for the firearm, and proceed with the stop.

Answer

Immediately draw your weapon and order the driver out of the car.

Answer

Ignore the information since the firearm is registered.

Answer

Order the driver to hand you the firearm before anything else.

Question 3

You are asked by a journalist to comment on an ongoing investigation. What should you do?

Accepted Answer

Decline to comment and refer the journalist to the department's public information officer.

Answer

Share what you know to improve community transparency.

Answer

Give a brief summary of evidence collected so far.

Answer

Ask the journalist to submit questions in writing to you personally.

Question 4

You stop a vehicle and the driver is clearly impaired, but the impairment appears to be from a medical episode rather than alcohol or drugs. What should you do?

Accepted Answer

Immediately request emergency medical services and stay with the driver to ensure safety.

Answer

Arrest the driver for DUI.

Answer

Tell the driver to park and walk home.

Answer

Issue a citation and allow the driver to call someone.

Question 5

A suspect you are interviewing invokes their right to counsel. What must you do?

Accepted Answer

Cease questioning immediately until an attorney is present.

Answer

Continue questioning since invoking counsel is not a guarantee.

Answer

Ask one more question to clarify the invocation.

Answer

Inform the suspect they can have an attorney after the interview.

Question 6

You observe a colleague using excessive force during an arrest. What should you do?

Accepted Answer

Intervene to stop the excessive force, render aid to the subject, and report the incident through proper channels.

Answer

Do nothing to avoid conflict with your colleague.

Answer

Tell the colleague to be more careful next time.

Answer

Wait until after the arrest to address it privately with the colleague.

Question 7

A person approaches you claiming to be a plainclothes officer from another jurisdiction and asks for your assistance detaining a suspect. What should you do?

Accepted Answer

Verify their identity and credentials through dispatch before providing any assistance.

Answer

Assist immediately since they claimed to be a police officer.

Answer

Refuse to help since they are from another jurisdiction.

Answer

Ask the suspect to confirm the person is an officer.