Police Officer Exam

This chapter is one of the most important because so much of your success on the examination depends on how well you understand written material. In addition, other sections of the test also require good reading comprehension ability; namely, the following chapters: “Recalling What You Read,” “Handling Police Department Forms,” “Understanding and Applying Police Directives, Procedures, and Regulations,” and “Understanding Legal Definitions.”

Therefore, spend as much time as you can with this chapter. Reading ability can be improved through diligent practice in the same way as any similar skill. In this chapter, you will find general hints for improving your overall skills, as well as specific instructions for answering reading comprehension questions.

How often do you “read” something by looking at the words without concentrating on their meaning? This is the biggest roadblock to overcome if you want to become a good reader. Actually, letting your mind wander is not bad for light reading. However, for the kind of reading that is essential to master almost any examination, you must learn how to totally concentrate on the material. One way to accomplish this is to continuously ask yourself questions about what you are reading. Another way is to use your imagination and create mental impressions about what you are reading. Above all, don’t let your mind wander!

A simple way to practice concentration is to read a passage of any kind, and to write down the key points you remember. Then return to the passage and see how well you did. You will become more proficient with practice. Remember, the key is: concentrate.

Concentration will not help if a reading passage contains a significant number of words that you don’t understand. Therefore, follow these suggestions to increase your vocabulary:

1.When you read a word you don’t fully understand, make a note of it along with a reminder of where you read it. Keep a special notebook for this purpose.

3.Return to the material where you read the word, and make sure you understand its meaning.

5.Keep a separate list of these words, and review them periodically until you are certain you have mastered them.

The strategies below are designed to help you answer reading comprehension questions accurately and very quickly.

1.RECOGNIZE THE QUESTION TYPE. Reading comprehension questions always have specific directions to answer the questions based solely on the information in the passage. This, of course, means that you should never introduce personal knowledge you may have about what is being discussed in the passage.

2.DO NOT READ THE PASSAGE FIRST. Never begin by reading the passage. When you read without knowledge of what you are looking for, you tend to treat everything as important. This is why, as explained below, sensitized reading is at the heart of our strategy.

3.LET THE STEM OF THE QUESTIONS SENSITIZE YOU. Go right to the stem of each question and determine what it is asking you. Circle key words in the stem and/or write key words in the test booklet to establish what information you are being asked to find. Remember, it is essential that you understand what information from the passage is needed to answer each question before you begin to read the passage.

4.ENGAGE IN SENSITIZED READING. Sensitized reading occurs when you read a passage with advance knowledge of the specific information you are seeking. Sensitized reading allows you to disregard information you are not looking for no matter how important the information may seem. As you read the passage, constantly remind yourself of the information you are seeking.

5.ANSWER QUESTIONS AS INFORMATION IS FOUND. As you find each needed piece of information, underline it in the passage, and then go to the question involved and answer it. After you carefully record the answer to each question as you find it in the passage, remind yourself of the information you still have to find to answer the remaining unanswered questions and continue the process until all questions are answered.

Underlining the needed information as you find it serves two purposes. First, it reminds you where you left off reading the passage if you haven’t yet answered all the questions, and second, it makes it easy to review the questions should you have time after you have answered all the questions.

Finally, don’t expect the questions to correspond in numerical order to the paragraphs in the passage. For example, information in paragraph 4 may be needed to answer question 3, while information in paragraph 5 may be needed to answer question 2.

Note that reading comprehension questions on official exams very rarely ask more than five questions per passage. In the unlikely event that you are asked more than five questions pertaining to the same passage, modify our suggested strategy by dealing with a maximum of five questions at a time. In other words, after answering the first five questions, repeat the strategy for the next series of questions.

6.HANDLE CERTAIN QUESTIONS DIFFERENTLY. Occasionally a question will ask you to evaluate each choice to determine which one is the least or most accurate statement. In this rare instance, you would let the choices guide you. These questions must be answered one at a time. See Group One practice question 3 for an example of this type of question.

A recent variation of reading comprehension questions is yet another way to test if you understand what you are reading. It consists of a paragraph from which words have been left out, indicated by numbered blank spaces representing question numbers. Your task is to read the paragraph and then select from a group of words, usually four, which word most appropriately fits in the numbered blank.

1.Scan the entire paragraph to get a sense of the overall meaning or purpose of the paragraph.

2.When initially scanning the paragraph, do not try to think of words that might fit in the blanks. It is a waste of time, since your task will be to select the word that most appropriately fits in the numbered blank from among the choices the examiner has provided.

3.When appropriate, pay particular attention to whether the paragraph is referring to only one specific person or to many people in general. Is the paragraph describing a general procedure to follow or is it referring to a specific incident? Effort here will help to decide whether a general or specific type of word should be used. For example, if you see “_________ defendant,” selecting the word this when the paragraph is referring to any defendant in general would not be appropriate. Rather, a better selection might be a defendant.

4.If a person’s role is established and this person is identified by name early in the paragraph, then it would be appropriate to select that person’s name when it appears later in the paragraph. But it would not be appropriate to suddenly select a person’s name in a paragraph without the paragraph having first identified that person and what relation or role that person has to the paragraph.

5.Make sure to keep genders straight in your mind. If the paragraph is referring to a female, the use of female gender words such as she or her and not he or him would be appropriate.

After you study the above strategies, see if you can successfully apply them to the three Word Selection questions at the end of the Practice Exercises. The answers and answer explanations follow.

One of the most successful innovations in police administration in the last fifty years has been the civilianization of police departments. There are a number of tasks in and about a police station which must be performed, but which do not involve law enforcement duties and responsibilities. Therefore, it is not necessary to require a sworn police officer to perform these tasks. Yet, traditionally, very few police departments had civilians working side by side with their police officers. The officers would perform all the required tasks regardless of the nature of the work involved. As a result, police officers performed such duties as answering incoming telephone calls, dispensing gas, driving the patrol wagon, typing and filing reports, and even keeping the station house clean. Mounting fiscal problems for municipal governments have generally provided the impetus to replace police officers performing non-enforcement duties with civilians. The primary advantages of civilianization are twofold. Civilians can be hired to do the same work as the police officers but at a lower cost, and more police officers can be assigned to enforcement duties. In addition, having civilians working in police stations makes it less stressful for some members of the community to visit the police station.

Listed below, as examples of the kinds of work performed by civilian members of the police departments, are the typical duties and responsibilities of three civilian titles: the Gasoline Dispenser, the Patrol Wagon Operator, and the Attendant.

2.Supply gasoline and oil to department vehicles and authorized private vehicles.

3.Have operator of vehicle sign the receipt for gas, oil, grease, and antifreeze.

4.See that no one smokes or carries lighted substance in premises where gas is dispensed.

8.Make certain that the ignition is turned off when gasoline is dispensed into fuel tanks.

9.Measure the contents of the station house gasoline tank before and after the delivery of gasoline, and make the appropriate entry in the “Gas, oil, grease, and antifreeze” book.

10.Make certain that fire extinguishers in the premises are full and serviceable.

1.Report to station house supervisor at beginning of tour and, when relieved, at end of tour.

4.Make entry of time leaving precinct, stops made, and time of return to garage.

5.Keep the garage and abutting driveways, areaways, and sidewalks clean and free from snow and ice.

7.Report to station house supervisor on leaving and returning from calls and meal.

8.Remain within hearing of the signal for services, and render police assistance as special duty permits.

9.Call the Communications Division from all stops on way to court or other destination, upon arrival at destination, and prior to departure.

12.Inspect all RMP cars on reserve at station house, and obtain gas and oil for those in need of same.

1.Have charge of the male prisoners and be responsible for their safekeeping while confined.

2.Inspect prisoners in cells and report their physical condition and wants to the station house supervisor immediately after reporting for duty and every 30 minutes thereafter.

3.Visit female detention cells or the quarters of a female officer assigned to matron duty as follows:

a. when accompanied by female officer and then, only with permission of officer in command of the station house, or

4.Keep station house and abutting areaways, yards, and sidewalks clean and sanitary.

7.Wash male and female cells thoroughly, and test emergency alarms in the cell block each day immediately after prisoners have been taken to court.

(B)Civilians perform non-enforcement work such as typing more efficiently than most police officers.

(C)The presence of civilian workers in the station house makes it easier for citizens to visit the station house.

(D)Civilianization results in more police officers being assigned to enforcement duties.

2.Which of the following is stated in the passage as having provided the momentum for civilianization to take hold?

3.Which of the following is the most accurate statement concerning civilianization?

(A)Civilianization represents the only successful innovation in police administration in the last fifty years.

(B)History shows that no police departments used civilian employees until recent years.

(C)All tasks in and about the typical station house can be performed equally as well by civilians.

4.Which of the following workers routinely leave the precinct station house and surrounding area as part of their assigned duties?

5.Which of the following workers are required to perform other tasks as directed by the station house supervisor?

6.Attendants are authorized to visit the quarters of a female officer assigned to matron duty in each of the following instances except

(C)Entries are made in the Patrol Wagon Record Book by the Patrol Wagon Operator.

(D)Gasoline and oil are supplied to department vehicles by the Gasoline Dispenser.

9.Which of the following is an inaccurate statement concerning the typical duties of civilian workers in police departments?

(A)The Patrol Wagon Operator must inspect all RMP cars in use and obtain gas and oil for those in need of same.

(B)The Gasoline Dispenser must keep the gasoline pumps locked when he/she is not present.

(C)The Gasoline Dispenser must see that no one smokes or carries a lighted substance in premises where gas is dispensed.

10.Which of the following workers are required to make some type of entries in department records or forms?

On November 10, defendant Myers and three other people were traveling north on the New York State Thruway when their car was stopped by a New York State trooper for speeding. Approaching the vehicle, the officer smelled marijuana coming from within the vehicle and observed an envelope on the floor of the vehicle which he recognized as a type commonly used in selling marijuana. The officer then ordered the occupants out of the vehicle, frisked each one, removed the envelope from the floor, and determined that it contained a small amount of marijuana.

After the marijuana was found, Myers and the three other people standing outside the car were placed under arrest for the illegal possession of marijuana. The officer reentered the vehicle, searched portions of it likely to conceal drugs, and searched the pockets of five jackets lying on the back seat. He opened the zippered pocket of one of the jackets and discovered a small amount of cocaine. The officer placed an additional charge against Myers for illegally possessing cocaine. All four prisoners were then removed to the State Police Headquarters where they were interrogated for twenty minutes.

Myers and his three accomplices engaged in plea bargaining with respect to the charges concerning possession of marijuana, but Myers elected to go to trial with respect to the charge concerning possession of cocaine. Myers was convicted by Trial Court, and a unanimous Appellate Division Court affirmed, holding that the warrantless search of the jacket was lawful as incident to the defendant’s arrest.

Myers appealed to the Court of Appeals. In arriving at its decision, the Court of Appeals discussed the right of privacy and the area that might be searched when an arrest is made. The Court held that when a person is placed under arrest, there is always a danger that he/she may seek to use a weapon to effect an escape or to destroy or conceal evidence of a crime or other contraband. Accordingly, it would be reasonable (pursuant to the Fourth Amendment) for the arresting officer to conduct a prompt warrantless search of the arrestee’s person and the area within his/her immediate control in order for the officer to protect himself and others and to prevent loss of evidence. The area within the arrestee’s immediate control would mean any area from which he/she might reach a weapon or evidence that could be destroyed.

Both the Trial Court and the Appellate Division Court concluded that as a factual matter, the jacket was not within the exclusive control of the police nor were the arrestees effectively neutralized. The Court of Appeals disagreed, holding that once the defendant Myers was arrested and removed from the vehicle, he was incapable, as were his confederates, of reentering the vehicle to attempt to obtain a weapon or destroy evidence.

11.The Court of Appeals held that it is reasonable for the arresting officer to search the person of an arrestee and the area under the arrestee’s immediate control. The Court defined immediate control as being

(B)the entire area inside the car, but not including the inside of jacket pockets.

12.Which of the following can accurately be concluded from the information in the above narrative?

14.According to the narrative, which of the following statements is most accurate concerning actual ownership of the cocaine?

(D)It is impossible to state who owned the cocaine from the information given in the narrative.

15.Which of the following is the least accurate statement concerning Myers and the three accomplices?

16.The Court of Appeals based its findings primarily upon which of the following?

(B)None of the defendants could have reentered the vehicle after they were arrested.

(C)The officer acted in an unreasonable manner with respect to the Fourth Amendment.

(D)The jacket in which the cocaine was found was discovered in the car that Myers was driving.

18.Pursuant to the Fourth Amendment, the Court of Appeals held that searches of arrested persons are reasonable if they are made for any of the following reasons except

One of the most important police functions is to render aid to people in need of assistance. In police parlance, taking action to help someone is considered handling an “aided case.” The official police definition of an “aided case” is “any occurrence coming to the attention of a member of the service which requires that a person, other than a prisoner, receives medical aid or assistance. Included are such occurrences as rendering aid to sick or injured persons; assisting people who are lost; dealing with the mentally ill; and caring for abandoned, destitute, abused, or neglected children.”

The most sensitive “aided cases” are those which involve dead human beings. The pain and suffering of relatives and friends of a deceased person can be eased by a thoughtful police officer acting in a professional manner. Nevertheless, the officer cannot dismiss the possibility of foul play. For these reasons, the New York City Police Department has developed very precise guidelines for its police officers to follow to ensure that notifications to concerned authorities and relatives are properly made and recorded, that evidence is properly preserved in the appropriate cases, and that proper disposition is made of the body.

When a member of the police department arrives at the scene of an apparently dead human being, he/she must do the following:

1.Request, through the radio dispatcher, that an ambulance and a patrol supervisor respond.

2.Exclude unauthorized persons from the scene.

3.Obtain names of witnesses and detain them at the scene if circumstances indicate a suspicious death.

4.Screen the area from public view, if possible.

5.Cover the body with waterproof covering if publicly exposed.

6.Ascertain the facts and notify the station house officer as soon as possible.

7.Request that the aided person be removed to the hospital or that a hospital doctor be dispatched if a pronouncement of death by an ambulance attendant is questioned by anyone.

After the station house officer is notified by the police officer at the scene of the facts involved in the case, the station house officer must notify the following:

1.The Precinct detectives.

2.The Harbor Unit, if the aided is removed from navigable waters by other than a member of the Harbor Unit.

3.The Crime Scene Unit, if the death is an apparent homicide, suicide, or in any way suspicious.

4.The Communications Division, if the death is suspicious.

5.The medical examiner. When notifying the medical examiner (M.E.), the station house officer must obtain the M.E. case number, for entry on the Aided Report. If the medical examiner fails to respond on the scene within one hour, a follow-up notification shall be made.

The police officer at the scene must remain with the body until the medical examiner makes his decision as to the disposition of the body, and the decision is effectuated. During this time, the officer at the scene has a number of definite responsibilities, as follows:

a. the ambulance attendant and doctor after they are cautioned not to disturb evidence,

d. a member of the Detective Bureau, the Crime Scene Unit, or the Precinct detective squad.

2.To prepare the Identification Tag and attach it to the body. In accordance with department policy, this tag is to be placed on dead human bodies, parts of bodies, and human fetuses that are to be delivered to the morgue; and unconscious persons at the scene of an accident. The lower half of the Identification Tag serves as a receipt for the body when it is removed to the morgue, and for the body and the death certificate if released to a funeral director or other authorized person.

3.To prepare an Aided Report after the body is removed in accordance with the directions of the medical examiner, and to include in the report:

a. the name and badge number of the morgue vehicle operator removing the body; or,

b. the name and address of the undertaker authorized to remove the body, as well as the name, address, and relationship of the person authorizing such removal; or,

c. the name, address, and relationship of the person to whom the body was released.

In all cases involving the death of a human being, the police department is responsible for notifying, if possible, a member of the immediate family of the deceased. This notification is to be made tactfully and, preferably, in person. Efforts should be made to have a friend or a neighbor present when making such notification.

The patrol supervisor who responds to the scene also has very definite responsibilities, as follows:

3.To supervise, if appropriate, a search of the body and premises in the presence of witnesses if the deceased resided alone or died at a location other than his/her residence.

4.To direct the member of the service who searched the body to safeguard the property.

In homicide cases, the station house officer must make arrangements for the officer who discovered the body to report to the morgue at 9:00 A.M. the following day to identify the body to two (2) medical examiners. If the officer who was first on the scene is not available, the station house officer shall direct another member who can identify the body as the body observed at the scene, to report to the morgue on the following day.

19.A member of the service would be correct to attach an Identification Tag in all of the following cases except

20.All of the following are correctly stated responsibilities of the patrol supervisor at the scene of a dead human body case except

(D)to direct the member making the search to safeguard the property, in cases where searches have been performed.

21.All of the following are authorized to disturb the body or its effects except

22.Who is responsible for the preparation of the Aided Report concerning a dead human body case?

23.The station house officer is responsible for assigning an officer to be at the morgue the following day to identify the body as being the one at the scene whenever

24.Which of the following is the most accurate statement concerning the notification of a member of the immediate family of the deceased?

25.In cases where a death certificate is issued, the correct way for the police to account for its disposition is to

(D)hold the station house officer responsible for recording the necessary information.

26.Which of the following is the most accurate statement concerning the search of a dead human body?

(D)The property found during the search can be released only to a member of the immediate family.

28.In cases involving dead human bodies, the station house officer must always notify the

30.Which of the following is the least accurate statement concerning dead human body cases?

(A)The police department has very strict guidelines for police officers to follow in these cases.

(B)In some cases, the police officer on the scene must consider the possibility of foul play.

The purpose of an arraignment in court includes formally charging a defendant with an offense and deciding the terms of bail. Bail usually is a sum of money that Q 31 defendant deposits with the court and can lose if that defendant does not appear the next time he or she is scheduled to appear in court. Bail is therefore intended to ensure that a Q 32 will appear at the next scheduled court date. If the defendant does not appear at the next scheduled court date, Q 33 bail will be forfeited.