UDEE Critical Thinking 2

Question 1

A witness reports seeing a suspect run north immediately after a theft. Another witness says the suspect ran east. An officer should:

Accepted Answer

Document both statements and seek additional evidence to reconcile the conflict

Answer

Arrest the first witness for filing a false report

Answer

Dismiss both accounts and close the case

Answer

Assume the suspect ran northeast and search accordingly

Question 2

Which of the following best exemplifies deductive reasoning?

Accepted Answer

All sworn officers carry badges; Officer Smith is sworn; therefore Officer Smith carries a badge

Answer

Most suspects are nervous; this person seems nervous; therefore this person is a suspect

Answer

The last three incidents happened on Fridays; the next incident will probably happen on a Friday

Answer

Witnesses are usually reliable, so this witness is probably telling the truth

Question 3

An officer notices a pattern: burglaries in a neighborhood always occur between 2 AM and 4 AM. This observation is most useful for:

Accepted Answer

Allocating patrol resources during high-risk hours

Answer

Proving who committed past burglaries

Answer

Establishing probable cause to make an arrest

Answer

Charging residents with conspiracy

Question 4

Which argument contains a logical fallacy?

Accepted Answer

Officer Jones made an error once, so we cannot trust any of his reports

Answer

If the door was locked, the intruder had a key or broke in

Answer

The crime scene shows forced entry, so the door was not left unlocked

Answer

The suspect's alibi is unverified, so it requires further investigation

Question 5

A report states: 'No evidence of forced entry was found.' What can be logically concluded?

Accepted Answer

The perpetrator had authorized access or used an undetected method of entry

Answer

The owner committed the crime

Answer

The crime did not occur

Answer

The locks were faulty

Question 6

During an investigation, an officer develops a hypothesis. The most critical next step is to:

Accepted Answer

Test the hypothesis against all available evidence, including contradicting evidence

Answer

Announce the hypothesis publicly to generate tips

Answer

Seek only evidence that supports the hypothesis

Answer

Close the investigation if the hypothesis seems plausible

Question 7

An officer reads: 'Residents who reported suspicious activity were 40% more likely to experience a burglary.' The most accurate interpretation is:

Accepted Answer

Residents who are more vigilant may live in higher-crime areas

Answer

Reporting suspicious activity causes burglaries

Answer

Officers should discourage residents from reporting suspicious activity

Answer

Suspicious activity reports are a reliable predictor of future crime nationwide