UDEE Observational Memory Recall 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An officer briefly views a scene: a white sedan parked facing north, a man in a red jacket standing near the hood, and a bicycle leaning against a blue mailbox. Which detail is MOST critical to include in a report?
- The color of the mailbox
- The direction the sedan was facing (Correct answer)
- The make of the bicycle
- The material of the jacket
Correct answer: The direction the sedan was facing
Vehicle direction (facing north) is operationally significant for tracking movement and establishing timelines in an investigation.
Observation and reporting prioritize operationally significant details. A vehicle's direction of facing can indicate whether it arrived or is preparing to leave, helps reconstruct timelines, and aids in identifying escape routes. Colors of bystander accessories (mailbox, jacket material) are secondary. The vehicle's direction is directly relevant to law enforcement action and investigation.
Question 2: During a 30-second observation window, an officer notes: two men in gray suits, one woman in a blue dress, a black briefcase, and a green umbrella. How many people were observed?
- 2
- 3 (Correct answer)
- 4
- 5
Correct answer: 3
Three individuals were observed: two men and one woman, totaling 3 people.
Accurate memory recall requires distinguishing between persons and objects. The passage describes two men + one woman = three people total. The briefcase and umbrella are objects. Officers must be able to accurately count and categorize what they observe without confusing people and objects in their mental inventory. This is a foundational memory recall skill on the UDEE.
Question 3: An officer memorizes a vehicle description: 2019 Honda Civic, silver, license plate NJX-4421, northbound on 3rd Street. Later, the officer is asked about the license plate. Which is correct?
- NJX-4412
- NXJ-4421
- NJX-4421 (Correct answer)
- NJX-4241
Correct answer: NJX-4421
The correct plate as memorized is NJX-4421. All other options have transposed characters.
License plate memorization tests precise sequential recall. The plate NJX-4421 must be recalled exactly — not NJX-4412 (last two digits swapped), NXJ-4421 (letters transposed), or NJX-4241 (middle digits swapped). Officers routinely must accurately recall license plates from brief observations, and the UDEE tests this with close distractors designed to catch partial-recall errors.
Question 4: After observing a scene for 45 seconds, an officer is asked: 'Was there a fire hydrant visible?' The officer did not specifically notice one. The BEST response is:
- Yes, there was definitely a fire hydrant
- No, there was no fire hydrant
- I did not observe a fire hydrant during my observation (Correct answer)
- I cannot answer questions about the scene
Correct answer: I did not observe a fire hydrant during my observation
Accurate reporting requires distinguishing between 'I did not see it' and 'it was not there' — reporting only what was actually observed.
Precise reporting distinguishes between absence of observation and observed absence. Saying 'No, there was no fire hydrant' claims to have confirmed its absence — which the officer cannot do if they didn't specifically look. 'I did not observe a fire hydrant' is accurate and honest, reflecting the limits of the observation. This distinction is critical in law enforcement reports and testimony.
Question 5: An officer observes a suspect described as: approximately 6 feet tall, heavyset, wearing a blue baseball cap, dark jeans, and white sneakers, carrying a red backpack. The officer spots a person matching this description except they are wearing black sneakers. Should the officer stop this person?
- No, because the sneaker color doesn't match
- Yes, because multiple significant features match and footwear can easily be changed (Correct answer)
- No, because only a perfect match justifies a stop
- Yes, but only if the backpack is still red
Correct answer: Yes, because multiple significant features match and footwear can easily be changed
Multiple primary identifying features match (height, build, cap, jeans, backpack). Footwear is easily changed and is a minor discrepancy that doesn't eliminate the strong overall match.
Suspect identification uses a totality-of-features approach. Height, build, hat, pants, and backpack are five distinctive matching features. Sneaker color is easily changed — a common tactic to evade identification. A single minor discrepancy in an easily-changed item does not override five strong matching characteristics. Reasonable suspicion for a stop is supported by the substantial match, consistent with Terry v. Ohio standards.
Question 6: An officer observes a crowded lobby for 60 seconds. Later, the officer is asked to recall which objects were near the security desk. The officer remembers a telephone, a binder, and a coffee cup. They are uncertain about a pen. What should the officer report?
- Include the pen since it is commonly found at security desks
- Exclude the pen and report only items the officer is certain about
- Report all possible items including the pen to be thorough
- State uncertainty but note that a pen was possibly present (Correct answer)
Correct answer: State uncertainty but note that a pen was possibly present
Accurate reporting includes both what was observed and an honest qualification of uncertainty — 'possibly present' is more accurate than either confirming or excluding a doubtful observation.
Professional reporting requires accurately communicating the reliability of one's observations. Stating 'a pen was possibly present' conveys the appropriate level of confidence. Excluding the pen ignores a possible lead; including it with false certainty can mislead an investigation. Reports must reflect the officer's actual state of knowledge, including degrees of certainty, to maintain their integrity and usefulness.
UDEE Observational Memory Recall 2
An officer briefly views a scene: a white sedan parked facing north, a man in a red jacket standing near the hood, and a bicycle leaning against a blue mailbox.
Which detail is MOST critical to include in a report?