SECTION 6
PROBLEM SENSITIVITY

Read the information that is provided and then answer questions 59–60.


The Department of Police and Fire have the following standard procedure for first responders arriving at the scene of a fire.

1. Note the time of your arrival. Note the color of the flames in order to assess the intensity of the fire. Also, note the color and odor of the smoke. Keep your patrol vehicle back from the burning structure to avoid explosion.

2. Note the people at the scene, including those near or leaving the scene of the fire. Note any unusual behavior of people at the scene. Evacuate the area or nearby homes if the situation warrants.

3. Note any covered windows or doors. Note whether the covering is shades, blankets, newspapers, or any other method an arsonist might use to delay the discovery of the fire. Do not knock out any windows as the addition of air to the fire could cause it to accelerate.

4. Note whether any obstacles have been placed to hinder access to the building, such as a dumpster or pile of trash placed in front of a door. If doors or windows are already open and away from the area on fire, law enforcement may approach that window/door and call out for possible victims trapped inside.

5. Law enforcement should avoid entering a burning structure, but should note the Fire Department’s method of entry into the building. Note whether any doors were locked or left open. Note whether any doors looked forced open prior to the fire.

59. Officer May is the first responder to a building fire. He notices that he arrived at 9:10 P.M He notes that the flames coming from the building are yellow-orange in color and that a gasoline odor exists. He then notes that no one is around the scene and that trash cans loaded with rocks have been placed in front of the two doors. Given this information what should Officer May do next?

(A) Back away and take no further action.

(B) Begin a preliminary determination about possible victims without entering the building.

(C) Continue to take notes about the status of the building.

(D) Enter the safest area of the building and look for possible victims.

60. Which of the following actions would be the most potentially dangerous mistake Officer May could make?

(A) Knock out all of the windows in preparation for the Fire Department’s arrival.

(B) Leave the scene to go in search of a fire extinguisher.

(C) Park his patrol vehicle next to the back door to prevent any bystanders from entering the burning structure.

(D) Begin evacuation procedures.

Read the information that is provided below and then answer questions 61–64.


Contact between police and members of the public range from friendly interactions to investigative encounters. The requirements for authorized police contact with a private person vary according to the degree of intrusiveness involved.

1. Consensual contact. No justification is necessary. The officer should exert no authority in the situation and the citizen should understand that they are free to leave and not required to respond. Refusal to give consent to search or to answer questions does not create reasonable suspicion or probable cause.

2. Dog sniff. No justification is necessary. A sniff must be reasonably conducted and the person’s freedom of movement or control of his or her property must not be interfered with.

3. Investigative Stop. Reasonable suspicion. An officer who has specific facts supporting a suspicion that a person is committing, has committed, or is about to commit a crime may stop and detain a person briefly, generally less than ten minutes. The officer may ask for identification, inquire about the person’s suspicious behavior. Once the purpose of the detention is carried out the detainee must be released, unless clear evidence of criminal conduct is discovered.

4. Protective frisk. Reasonable suspicion. An officer may frisk a person if the officer has specific facts supporting a suspicion that the person is armed and a danger to the officer or others. The justification for a frisk may arise in any encounter with a private person.

5. Arrest. Probable cause. An officer has probable cause to arrest if facts and circumstances known to the officer at the time of the arrest justify a reasonable belief that the person has committed or is committing a crime.

61. Officer Lee notices that an unknown male has stopped his vehicle next to another vehicle to talk to a second unknown male. Officer Lee is aware that area residents have been complaining about drug trafficking in the area. Officer Lee does not see any evidence of drugs or money, but he is approximately 200 feet away from the two men. Officer Lee approaches the two men and asks them to pull their vehicles to the side of the road. He then asks to see identification for each driver. When he sees that the addresses listed on both the licenses are for homes just down the street he returns the licenses and tells both men to have a nice day. What type of police/citizen interaction has occurred?

(A) Consensual contact

(B) Investigative stop

(C) Arrest

(D) No interaction

62. Officer Jones conducts a routine traffic stop. The driver of the vehicle is acting very nervous and her hands are shaking. Officer Jones is suspicious of her behavior and asks for permission to search the vehicle. The driver refuses to give her consent. Based on this information, what may Officer Jones do next?

(A) Nothing.

(B) Require the driver to wait 25 minutes for the arrival of a drug-sniffing dog.

(C) Remove the driver from her vehicle and frisk her for weapons.

(D) Arrest the driver on suspicion of drug trafficking.

63. Officer Leon is walking through the mall when he sees two girls racing out of a store clutching their shopping bags to their chests. He sees the store manager yelling at the girls to come back. The correct level of police/citizen interaction at this point is:

(A) Consensual contact

(B) Investigative stop

(C) Arrest

(D) No interaction

64. Officer Lopez approaches an individual he knows is wanted on an active warrant for attempted murder. The correct level of police/citizen interaction at this point is:

(A) Consensual contact

(B) Investigative stop

(C) Arrest

(D) No interaction

Answer questions 65–66 based on the information given in each question.


65. Police Officer Chow interviews four witnesses to a murder, which occurred outside of a carwash. Each of the witnesses was present at the time of the shooting. They described the perpetrator as follows:

Witness No. 1. She had short brown hair, a tattoo on her neck, and baggy shirt jeans. She was barefoot.

Witness No. 2. He was short with brown hair, a loose fitting button up shirt hanging open over a white t-shirt. He had baggy blue jeans on, and raggedy old tennis shoes.

Witness No. 3. She was average height but dressed like a boy. She had brown hair and really tanned skin. She had on a short-sleeved button up shirt over a white t-shirt, and baggy blue jeans. She had a tattoo on her neck, which was clearly visible because her hair was so short.

Witness No. 4. She was average height and was wearing baggy clothes and old tennis shoes. Her hair was pulled up into a bun so a big bruise was visible on her neck.

Based on the descriptions provided, which of the four witness statements is most likely to be correct?

(A) Witness No. 1

(B) Witness No. 2

(C) Witness No. 3

(D) Witness No. 4

66. Police Officer Klough interviews four witnesses to a carjacking, which occurred on a busy street adjacent to a shopping mall in the late afternoon. The subject vehicle and the vehicles driven by the three other witnesses were waiting for a traffic light to turn green, when the driver of the subject vehicle was approached by the perpetrator and forced out of his vehicle. The victim and the three witnesses described the perpetrator as follows:

Witness No. 1. He was really big: about 6 ft 2 in and 250 lbs. Also, he had light brown skin. Maybe he was Hispanic.

Witness No. 2. He was average size: probably 5 ft 11 in and 160 lbs. He seemed to have dark Caucasian coloring, but it was hard to tell if he was really tanned, or maybe Hispanic. He was a young guy. He had long straight black hair cut long on the top and really short on the sides. He was wearing a black t-shirt and black jeans, and he seemed in really good shape.

Witness No. 3. He was average height and weight, in his early twenties, had dark brown hair cut short on the sides. He was dressed all in black, but was carrying an army green backpack.

Witness No. 4. He was average height, not quite 6’. He looked to be between 20 and 25-years-old. He weighed about 150–160 lbs, and he had a very athletic build. He had straight black hair under a green bandana, and was dressed in a black t-shirt and black slacks.

Based on the above information, Officer Klough should recognize that there is a problem with the description given by:

(A) Witness No. 1

(B) Witness No. 2

(C) Witness No. 3

(D) Witness No. 4

STOP. THIS IS THE END OF SECTION 6.