Police Field Services Midterm

Dr. Gates

Police regularly prevent crime, investigate crimes and apprehend criminals; maintain order, and provide service. These activities would define them as a _________.

general service law enforcement agency

All police officers are peace officers, but all peace officers are not police officers. The legal status of peace officers is defined by _________.

statute

The belief that crime scene investigators play a major role in investigating and solving crimes is known as the ___________.

CSI Effect

One of the most important factors shaping the police role is __________.

the authority to use force

Police contribute to social control through both ____________.

law enforcement and order maintenance

In order to carry out their responsibilities, police are heavily dependent upon ________.

citizens

The decision by a police officer to make an arrest initiates most criminal cases. This factor makes police the ____________ of the criminal justice system.

gate keepers

The police are part of the system of ___________.

social control

Police depend upon the public to _____________.

All of these:

-report crimes to the police
- provide information about suspects
- cooperate in investigations

A police officer is also known as a ____________.

peace officer

True or False: The term "police officer" is often used interchangeable with the term "peace officer."

True

True or False: The fact of the matter is, police officers today spend most of their time on order maintenance.

true

True or False: The majority of the time, police officers are involved in criminal law enforcement, not order maintenance.

False

True or False: The typical police officer never fires his or her weapon during their career.

True

True or false: The majority of all index crimes are not solved with an arrest.

True

True or false: Preserving constitutional rights is the responsibility of the police function.

False

True or False: In the colonial era (1600-1840s), citizens were the primary agents of social control.

True

True or False: A model of policing that stresses a two-way working relationship between the community and the police, in which the police become more integrated into the local community and citizens assume as active role in crime control and prevention, is called team policing.

False

True or False: The workload for the criminal justice system is determined by the police.

True

True or False: One of the central problems in American Policing is the tension between freedom and constraint in society.

True

American law enforcement agencies are organized along quasi-military lines. This means ___________.

the police resemble the military in some but not all respects

An important criticism of the quasi-military style is the ________.

cultivation of an "us versus them" attitude

The typical police department has a complex hierarchical structure and an authoritarian management style also known as a __________.

bureacracy

Community policing is an alternative to the traditional form of policing. Its placement of greater responsibility on officers to be more responsive to neighborhood residents in an attempt to ____________ more traditional organizations.

decentralize

A type of structure of police organizations consisting of officers from different ranks within the same agency is known as a _____________.

task force

The guide that ensures that personnel decisions are based on objective criteria, and not on favoritism, bias, and political influence is called the ___________.

civil service system

An organization legally authorized to represent police officers in collective bargaining with their employer is called a ________.

police union

The method of determining conditions of employment through bilateral negotiations is known as __________.

collective bargaining

In which way do the police resemble the military?

The organizational of the police is authoritarian.

`Which of the following is a criticism of the bureaucratic form of police organization?

It is too rigid.

True or False: While TQM has been found to be a successful organizational strategy in private industry, its effectiveness in police organizations is still unclear.

True

True or False: According to the text, a taskforce consists of officers from different ranks within the same agency.

True

True or False: A set of formal and legally binding procedures governing personnel decisions is called civil service.

True

True or False: The majority of sworn police officers in the United States are members of police unions.

True

True or false: According to the text, jobs in the police department are competitive with other jobs that may require a college education.

True

True or False: Many of the problems in police are related to organizational features.

True

True or False: One of the problems with the Civil Service system is that the power of the Departments involved is unlimited.

False

True or False: According to COMPSTAT, a 1994 NYPD initiative that held precincts accountable through the continuous collection of date led not only to a decrease in the crime index, but also in the number of citizen complaints.

True

True or False: In regards to Community Oriented Policing, "deformalize" refers to the reduction of specialized units in favor of neighborhood officers.

False

True or False: A factor that makes bureaucracy effective is that communication does not breakdown within the established chain of command.

False

The positive or negative belief that strongly influences the public image of the identity, beliefs and actions of the police is called a _____________.

stereotype

Recruiting women for positions on the police force is difficult because many people view policing as ___________.

a traditionally male occupation

The legislation that bars employment discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, or sex is known as _________________.

Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act

Job requirements that are "reasonably necessary" to the normal operation of that particular business are called ___________.

bona fide occupational qualifications

The measure of the extent to which the personnel make-up of a police department reflects the community it serves is called ____________.

equal employment opportunity index

This concept, the basis of which an employer must take positive steps to remedy past discrimination, is called

affirmative actions

The type of training received by newly hired personnel at the police academy is generally known as ____________.

pre-service training

To gain practical experience under the supervision of veteran police officers, a newly trained police recruit works with a _______________.

Field Training Officer (FTO)

The number and quality of persons in the applicant pool depend in part on a department's ______________.

recruitment effort

Surveys of recruits and new police officers consistently indicate they choose law enforcement as a career for two main reasons ________________.

The nature of the work and the material benefits of the job

True or False: More females, African Americans, and Hispanics are being hired today then ever before.

True

True or False: The majority of police departments now require a four-year college degree to be appointed to the police department.

False

True or False: Very few police departments grant education incentive pay to encourage their officers to continue their education.

False

True or False: Drug offenses pose the most difficult problem in hiring new officers with respect to recruitment standards.

True

True or False: Most police departments have a height requirement for hiring new officers.

False

True or False: Most officers select the opportunity to exercise authority and power as a main reason for wanting to be a police officer.

False

True or False: Under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, it is unlawful for an employer to engage in a variety of illegal employment practices with regard to hiring, firing, segregation, or discrimination on the basis on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

True

True or False: Regarding drug use, some experts suggest that police applicants should be considered as long as the drug involvement was limited to "experimentation" rather than heavy use, and as long as there has been no use for several years.

True

True or False: There is no conclusive evidence that officers with college degrees perform more effectively that those without degrees.

True

True or False: Regarding residency requirements, a national survey of public attitudes about police found that officers who are required to live within the city or county are more likely to be viewed more favorably than officers who are not.

False

The following information must be included in pre-stop radio traffic with dispatch:

Location and license plate

When considering a good location wherein to make a traffic stop, an officer should consider __________.

All of the above:

- visibility
- lighting
- volume of traffic

If, during a traffic stop, the driver exits the vehicle and approaches the patrol car while the officer is still seated, the officer should not _________.

be polite and allow the driver to approach the officer's window

The two primary methods for positioning a patrol car during a vehicle stop are the ___________.

angle and offset

Some tactical considerations for officers prior to and while conducting a building search include _______________.

all of the above should be considered:

- methods of escape
- cross fire possibilities
- cover vs. concealment

_______________ provides adequate protection from firearms fire.

Cover

Foliage, drywall or plaster, and shrubs are examples of _________.

Concealment

The technique that produces the quickest entry into a room is referred to as the ______________.

Cross or deep corner

When utilizing the angle position during a vehicle stop, the officer creates a ____________ _________________ in which to walk between vehicles.

safe zone

When utilizing a flashlight during a building search, the officer should _________.

place it in his weak hand so as not to occupy the weapon hand

True or False: When conducting a traffic stop, the patrol vehicle should remain far enough away from the violator vehicle so the license plate is always in view.

True

True or False: Taking a "quick peek" is a valid method to employ during building searches.

True

True or False: An officer should slam the door when exiting the patrol car in order to send a notice to the drive of a violator vehicle that the situation should be taken seriously.

False

True or False: In an effort to expedite the process, it is not necessary for an officer to look everywhere during a building search when the officer perceives that a person would not be hiding in the area to be skipped.

False

True or False: During a vehicle stop, the officer must lock his gaze and attention onto the driver, who presents the primary threat, not being distracted by other occupants in the vehicle or the surroundings.

False

True or False: Due to manpower shortages within most agencies, officers are encouraged to search buildings solo, especially when the structure is small.

False

True or False: Stating the violation to the offender during a traffic stop is a means for diffusing any argument that may arise.

True

True or False: The number "3" side of a building would be considered the rear or back of the building.

True

True or False: Positioning the patrol car during a vehicle stop is both "deliberate" and "important."

True

True or False: A tree, a concrete curb, a brick wall, and an engine block are all examples of concealment.

False

The rude awakening a new officer encounters about the unpleasant aspects of dealing with the public is referred to as ______________.

reality shock

Much of the changes in officer attitudes is partly the result of encountering _________.

Hostility from citizens.

Another shock to police officers involves their experiences within the criminal justice system. Police officers get to see how the system works as they are a(n) ________.

insider

The disillusionment that new officers experienced with their own department is the discovery of ___________ ______

department politics

Officers with more experience have priority on assignments leaving the least desirable assignments to the new officers. This is the principle of ______________.

seniority

The close bond the officer achieve in working together, experiencing public hostility, and other uncertainties fosters a strong sense of _______ _____.

group solidarity

A result of public hostility and group solidarity is __________.

Secrecy

The conduct that involves not testifying against other officers accused of misconduct is known as ___________.

Code of silence

Officers hired in one decade often have ideas and lifestyles different from those of officers hired in another decade. This phenomenon, which can generate conflicts within police departments, is known as the _____________.

Cohort effect

Concerning styles of police work, active officers are those who ___________.

Initiate field contacts, assert control of situations, and make more arrests.

True or False: One of the important consequences of group solidarity is secrecy.

True

True or False: William Westley found that the majority of officers stated they would turn in a fellow officer who took money from a citizen.

False

True or False: In a study of the Washington, D.C. police department, the researchers found that the vast majority of police officers trusted the court system.

False

True or False: Shift assignments are usually based on seniority.

True

True or False: A major problem with the original concept of a police subculture is that it does not take into consideration the changes in policing over the past thirty years.

True

True or False: It has been argued that the capacity to use force is the defining feature of the police, distinguishing them from other occupations.

True

True or false: Research by the Police Foundation found that officers believe that "it is not unusual for a police officer to turn a blind eye to improper conduct by other officers."

True

True or false: There is strong evidence that officers with college education behave no differently on street than officers with less education.

True

True or False: According to the Skolnick study, police officers tend to trust people more as their career develops.

False

True or False: Concerning the effects of cohorts ideology, there seems to be a conflict between the old street cop culture and the new bureaucratic style.

True