Deck 1: An Introduction to the Police in America

Question 1

Which type of crime are the police primarily concerned with stopping?

A) white-collar crime
B) street crime
C) identity theft
D) crimes of opportunity

Answer 1

street crime

Question 2

Who has the authority to make arrests and to legitimately use force?

A) civilian employees
B) Article III judges
C) probation officers
D) sworn officers

Answer 2

sworn officers

Question 3

Which piece of legislation gave the government new powers in collecting information on citizens?

A) National Origins Act
B) Sherman Antitrust Act
C) the USA Patriot Act
D) the War Powers Resolution

Answer 3

the USA Patriot Act

Question 4

______ are the goals police hope to achieve.

A) Means
B) Ends
C) Alternatives
D) Desired consequences

Question 5

Which of the following is an example of using illegal means to achieve "good ends"?

A) performing a field sobriety test on a suspected drunk driver
B) engaging in a high speed pursuit of a fleeing felon
C) stealing evidence to sell for personal profit
D) planting evidence to catch a known drug dealer

Question 6

An individual's internal sense of proper conduct, or what is right, is called ______.

A) ethics
B) morality
C) integrity
D) personality

Question 7

______ influence(s) discretionary decisions made by police officers while performing their duties.

A) Proximity to headquarters
B) Ethical standards
C) Monetary compensation
D) Prestige

Question 8

______ are the methods employed by police when pursuing their goals.

A) Alternatives
B) Consequences
C) Ends
D) Means

Question 9

The media tend to focus on ______ police behavior.

A) bad
B) good
C) all
D) routine

Question 10

Illegal and/or unethical means are referred to as ______ means.

A) reflexive
B) dirty
C) illicit
D) rudimentary

Question 11

The best source of knowledge about the police is ______.

A) personal experience
B) media representations
C) research
D) experience of friends and family

Question 12

When officers use their own judgment in making decisions about how to handle a situation, they are using their ______.

A) authority
B) mandate
C) discretion
D) jurisdiction

Question 13

______ involves the systematic collection and analysis of data.

A) Comprehension
B) Preservation
C) Objectification
D) Research

Question 14

Which of the following is an example of a discretionary decision for police?

A) ticketing a motorist
B) leading a funeral procession
C) directing traffic
D) in-service training

Question 15

What is not a way for police departments to increase transparency?

A) the use of Body Worn Cameras
B) involving citizens in police operations
C) sharing information with citizens
D) all of these

Question 16

______ is unique to policing and separates it from all other occupations.

A) The code of silence
B) Rigorous training
C) Rotating shiftwork
D) The authority to use force in many situations

Question 17

Which of the following is an example of an unethical but legal police action?

A) lying to a suspect in an interrogation
B) taking seized evidence for personal use
C) stopping and frisking someone without reasonable suspicion
D) pulling over a car because the driver is attractive

Question 18

When a person who has a poor perception of the police has an interaction with the police, they are likely to rate their experience with the police ______.

A) positively
B) negatively
C) honestly
D) rapidly

Question 19

When government power is increased, the rights of citizens' ______.

A) increase
B) decrease
C) remain the same
D) stagnate

Question 20

______ provide(s) greater transparency, accountability, and control over the actions of police in situations where deadly force may be used.

A) Body cameras
B) Tasers
C) Radios
D) Mobile data terminals

Question 21

Citizens' evaluations of interactions with police officers are heavily influenced by ______.

A) previously held beliefs about the police
B) time of day
C) length of the interaction
D) the officer's characteristics

Question 22

In many cities, ______ hire and fire police chiefs.

A) judges
B) state Representatives
C) mayors
D) governors

Question 23

Effectively policing a free society is ______.

A) a challenge
B) impossible
C) simple
D) a myth

Question 24

The police spend a majority of their time in ______.

A) public
B) private residences
C) training exercises
D) administrative buildings

Question 25

The Federal Bureau of Investigation devotes a substantial amount of resources combatting ______.

A) white-collar crimes
B) predatory crimes
C) juvenile crimes
D) motor vehicle offenses

Question 26

Discretionary decision-making is ______ in policing.

A) common
B) rare
C) prohibited
D) carefully monitored

Question 27

______ is the most controversial discretionary decision made by police officers.

A) Ticketing motorists
B) Serving warrants
C) Suspect pursuit
D) Use of force

Question 28

The use of deadly force against ______ has been highly controversial and is the cause of much criticism of the police.

A) intoxicated people
B) subjects who are resisting arrest
C) unarmed subjects
D) fleeing felons

Question 29

Which of the following is an example of a police action that does not have "good ends"?

A) soliciting sex
B) searching a house without a warrant
C) lying to a suspect in an interrogation
D) searching a citizen without reasonable suspicion

Question 30

Over-policing occurs when citizens perceive that the police are taking too much action in a specific area.

Question 31

Arresting someone is an example of police using their authority.

Question 32

Civilian employees of police departments take a sworn oath to uphold the laws of the United States, their state, and their community.

Question 33

International law mandates that citizens of all countries are afforded the same rights and freedoms.

Question 34

The job of police officers is unique in the fact that they have the authority to use force against citizens in a wide array of situations.

Question 35

The most accurate way to measure "good policing" is to compare arrest rates from one year to the next.

Question 36

Under-policing occurs when citizens perceive that there are too few police in a given area.

Question 37

The media presents an accurate representation of the police.

Question 38

The use of body cameras by police officers may help provide greater transparency of police actions, especially in deadly use of force situations.

Question 39

In a "free" society, citizens are not bound by laws.

Question 40

Predatory crimes, like murder, rape, robbery, and assault, are considered "street crimes."

Question 41

Generally speaking, police officers have a greater presence in areas where there is more street crime.

Question 42

The entertainment media tends to exaggerate law enforcement capabilities and the effectiveness of the police.

Question 43

Positive information about the police is usually perceived as more significant and is more memorable than negative information.

Question 44

The freedoms that Americans enjoy were established when the Constitution of the United States was ratified and have remained the same since.

Question 45

The United States Patriot Act increased the power of the government, while decreasing the rights of citizens.

Question 46

The use of force by police officers is one of the most controversial aspects of policing.

Question 47

It is illegal for the police to lie to a suspect during an interrogation.

Question 48

The media tends to focus its attention on good police behavior.

Question 49

U.S. Supreme Court decisions like Miranda v. Arizona gave citizens more freedoms, but restricted the ability of the police to perform their duties.

Question 50

Ethical standards should not be considered when making discretionary decisions in policing.

Question 51

A citizen's personal experience with the police is the best basis on which to evaluate the police.

Question 52

Citizens' views of the police can be easily changed.

Question 53

The police have one responsibility: to control crime.

Question 54

Officers are required to make moral or ethical decisions when exercising discretion.

Question 55

How is the police held responsible for their actions in a "free" society?

Question 56

Why is it difficult to measure "good" policing?

Question 57

What is the difference between "sworn officers" and "civilians" who work in police departments?

Question 58

Freedom can be described as a relative concept. Why?

Question 59

Why is it often suggested that police officers have an "impossible mandate"?

Question 60

Does the media provide an accurate representation of the police?

Question 61

What is meant by the "means-ends" distinction in policing?

Question 62

Why is using personal experience as an indicator of police performance not very reliable?

Question 63

Provide an example of how officers exercise discretion while performing their duties.

Question 64

Explain why use of force is such a controversial aspect of policing.

Question 65

Provide at least three perceived benefits of the police utilizing body-worn cameras.

Question 66

Why is comparing the number of crimes committed from one year to the next a poor indicator of police effectiveness?

Question 67

Identify and provide examples of the four different forms of unethical conduct in policing.

Question 68

Explain the trade-off between police power and the rights of citizens. Include one example.