Deck 5: The Police: Role and Function

Question 1

Length of investigation is associated with success of investigation operations.
​

Answer 1

True

Question 2

A National Institute of Justice study that examined police response times in four cities revealed that rapid response times had virtually no effect on crime.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Vice squads target violent crime.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

More than half the contacts the average police officer makes with citizens are for traffic-related matters.

Question 5

​Most police agencies are administratively conservative due to the time-in-rank system.

Question 6

Evidence shows that targeting specific crimes through directed patrol has no influence on crime rates.

Question 7

​According to the "broken windows" concept, police need citizen cooperation.

Question 8

​Problem-oriented policing focuses equally on problem solving and reactive crime fighting.

Question 9

One reason for investigative ineffectiveness is that there are too many competing interests to solve a case within the police department.

Question 10

​After assuming their duties, new police recruits are automatically placed in the field to practice what they have learned in the academy and no additional training is required at that time.

Question 11

Supervisor attitudes can be one of the challenges of community-oriented policing.

Question 12

College degrees may have little direct impact on promotion potentials for police officers.

Question 13

The time-in-rank system is designed to promote stability and fairness and to limit favoritism.

Question 14

The detective bureau is considered the backbone of policing.

Question 15

Proactive policing is a cornerstone of community policing.

Question 16

Evaluations of foot patrol indicate that it lowers crime rates.

Question 17

Creating a feeling of security is one of the major purposes of police patrol.

Question 18

Most municipal police departments in the United States are linked to state police agencies and their administrative authority.

Question 19

​Community-oriented policing involves an increase in foot patrol.

Question 20

The average police officer can expect to make between 10 and 15 arrests per month for serious crimes.

Question 21

Regardless of the size of the policing organization, this person has general administrative control and sets policy for entire department's operating branches.

A)Staff lieutenant
B)Detective lieutenant
C)Chief of police
D)Patrol sergeant

Question 22

What was a result of the Kansas City Gun Experiment

A)There was a measurable effect on gun crimes in the target area during the experiment.
B)Assaults on police officers increased in the target area.
C)Gun crimes in the target area marginally increased.
D)Gun crimes were displaced to contiguous beats.

Question 23

Aggressive patrol in New York City during the 1990s has been credited with a reduction in:

A)prostitution
B)violent crime
C)drug dealing
D)property crime

Question 24

One of the goals of fusion centers is to create new exams to screen for qualified police applicants.​

Question 25

Based on research like the Kansas City study, what is the prevailing wisdom on preventive patrols

A)The number of patrol cars on the street and their visibility to citizens has little impact on the crime rate.
B)More patrol cars on the street can deter specific types of crime, such as motor vehicle theft and vandalism.
C)Fewer patrol cars on the street results in higher crime rates.
D)Patrol cars should be assigned to a reactive response mode only.

Question 26

More than half of the contact that police officers engage in with civilians is spent

A)catching criminals.
B)handling traffic related matters.
C)ferreting out drug dealers.
D)investigating crime.

Question 27

While there are many goals of patrol, most police experts agree that the majority of police patrol efforts are devoted to:

A)fighting crime.
B)maintaining order.
C)responding to emergencies.
D)deterring crime.

Question 28

The time-in-rank system used in police departments often discourages the:

A)recruitment and hiring of college-educated officers.
B)recruitment and hiring of minority officers.
C)transfer of experienced officers to other departments.
D)use of a military-like organizational structure.

Question 29

What was the principle finding of the Kansas City study

A)It is significant what type of patrol model you implement.
B)There is little evidence that police patrol deters crime.
C)Patrol techniques can have a significant impact on citizens' attitudes.
D)Patrol techniques can significantly impact citizens' satisfaction with police.

Question 30

The statement "Aggressive policing increases community perception that police arrest many criminals and therefore most violators get caught" is an example of:

A)the deterrent effect.
B)the proactive effect.
C)the aggressive effect.
D)sheer luck.

Question 31

​Crime scene investigation involves the use of complex instruments and chemical, physical, and microscopic examining techniques.

Question 32

Among the most publicized community policing concepts is that of intelligence-led policing.​

Question 33

The Kansas City Gun Experiment is an example of:

A)problem-oriented policing.
B)community policing.
C)reactive patrolling.
D)a police crackdown targeting a specific type of crime problem.

Question 34

____ policing is a department policy that emphasizes stopping crimes before they occur rather than reacting to crimes that have already occurred.

A)Community
B)Proactive
C)Deterrent
D)Reactive

Question 35

UCR data suggests that the average police officer makes less than one felony arrest every ____ months.

A)2
B)4
C)6
D)8

Question 36

Approximately ____ percent of all sworn officers in the nation's largest police departments are in units that don't allow them to make arrests (such as communications, administration, etc.). ​

A)5
B)15
C)25
D)35

Question 37

Jurisdictions that encourage patrol officers to aggressively arrest and detain suspicious persons experience lower crime rates than other jurisdictions that do not practice _______ policing

A)reactive
B)neighborhood snitching
C)preventive
D)proactive

Question 38

Which of the following is a method of improving patrol

A)Aggressive patrol
B)Targeting specific crimes
C)Making more arrests
D)All of these

Question 39

How do most municipal police departments determine promotion eligibility

A)Intelligence testing
B)College performance
C)Arrest performance
D)Time-in-rank

Question 40

Which of the following is not one of the major purposes of police patrol

A)Deter crime through police presence
B)Aid individuals who cannot help themselves
C)Facilitate the movement of traffic and people
D)Issue arrest warrants

Question 41

Madalyn has always wanted to be a police officer. She cannot wait to be on the street and chasing down bad guys. In her first month on the job, she makes two arrests and there were no chases. What is the most logical reason why

A)Females are treated differently in policing.
B)Police engage in many noncrime-related activities.
C)Investigation is a key role that police officers fulfill.
D)According to the UCR, crime rates are decreasing.

Question 42

What have evaluations of foot patrol programs in New Jersey and Michigan demonstrated

A)The crime rate went down in foot patrol beats.
B)The crime rate went up in foot patrol beats.
C)Officer job satisfaction increased.
D)Citizen attitudes toward the police improved.

Question 43

Which of the following police operations best exemplifies community-oriented policing

A)A sting operation where officers pose as fences of stolen property.
B)Creation of a well-armed special weapons and tactics (SWAT) team trained in hostage negotiation.
C)Computerized data terminals installed on the dash of all patrol cars.
D)The hiring of bilingual officers to patrol ethnic neighborhoods.

Question 44

The concept of hot spots of crime is most closely associated with which model of policing

A)Community-oriented policing
B)Neighborhood-oriented policing
C)Problem-oriented policing
D)Police-community relations

Question 45

Which of the following is a commonly cited source of ineffective investigation

A)Length of investigation
B)Poor sources of information
C)Poor follow-up on initial calls for service
D)All of the above

Question 46

Which of the following is not a fundamental assumption of the broken windows model

A)Neighborhood disorder creates fear.
B)Neighborhoods can give out crime-promoting signals.
C)Police require citizen cooperation.
D)Reactive patrol is necessary.

Question 47

When Madalyn is on patrol, she focuses on stopping motor vehicles and aggressively arresting and detaining suspects that pose potential dangers to the community. This concept is called:

A)proactive policing.
B)selective enforcement.
C)full enforcement.
D)hot spot policing.

Question 48

Although Gary currently works in the crime lab, he has noticed that the role of policing is changing in his department. He has seen his fellow officers do more patrolling and problem solving, and there has been a shift from the traditional top-down management approach. What is his department's focus now

A)Getting back to patrolling as a central function
B)Community-oriented policing
C)Problem-oriented policing
D)Watchman-style policing

Question 49

Community policing is often exemplified by which of the following models

A)Broken windows
B)Shattered promises
C)Urban decay
D)Urban blight

Question 50

The vice squad specializes in:

A)violent crime.
B)property crime.
C)crimes of public morals.
D)sex crime.

Question 51

Community-oriented policing links police effectiveness to:

A)productive interaction with the community being served.
B)interrelationships between cooperative police agencies.
C)efficient utilization of existing personnel.
D)optimized usage of advanced technology.

Question 52

​Which of the following is not a challenge of community-oriented policing

A)Changing attitudes of supervisors
B)Reorienting values of the police
C)Defining community
D)All of these are challenges of community-oriented policing

Question 53

Which of the following is true

A)Criminal investigation is a key element of police work.
B)Detectives are often handicapped by limited time, money, and resources.
C)Modern criminal investigators are usually knowledgeable about legal rules of evidence and procedure.
D)All of these statements are true.

Question 54

Madalyn's department is trying something new to fight crime. Her orders are to maintain a presence in the community, get to know the business owners and residents and gain their trust. Why would she do this as part of her police duties

A)Aggressive policing increases crime.
B)Technology has made the police cold and impersonal.
C)Police need community cooperation to reduce fear and crime.
D)This is the main role of patrol officers.

Question 55

In Martin Innes's study of investigation techniques, he found that police rely heavily on _________ that includes canvas of neighborhoods, interviews with friends/family, and constructing victim/suspect timelines to solve a crime.

A)specific focus
B)general coverage
C)technology and crime mapping
D)sting operations

Question 56

Gary is a police officer who is also a forensic scientist. Currently, his job is in the crime lab and includes processing fingerprints, examining blood spatter evidence, and testing evidence for deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). One day he would like to work for the civil justice system instead of the criminal justice system.
Which duty would Gary perform in civil justice more often than what he does as a criminal forensic scientist

A)Handwriting analysis
B)Toxicology
C)Trace evidence
D)Study law enforcement tactics

Question 57

Madalyn has just earned her degree in Information Systems. After graduation she decides to go to the police academy. She believes that working for the police and combining her knowledge of computers would be a great niche field.
A job posting for a senior computer technician is posted within the police department. With her degree in information systems, Madalyn applies and is sure she will be welcomed with open arms into the job. The most likely reason she wouldn't get the job is because:

A)females are treated differently in policing.
B)the time-in-rank system.
C)more women are needed to handle female criminals on the streets.
D)patrol is the backbone of the police department.

Question 58

What does Madalyn not do in her role as a patrol officer

A)Arrest suspects
B)'Handle the situation'
C)Gather evidence
D)Order maintenance

Question 59

Which of the following is not a focus of community policing

A)Order maintenance
B)Emergency service
C)Crime fighting
D)Problem solving

Question 60

What is Operation Ceasefire

A)A problem-oriented policing program in Boston to get guns off the street.
B)A community-oriented policing program in Chicago aimed at auto theft.
C)A crime-mapping program in Dallas designed to plot gun crimes.
D)A civilian review board initiative in New York.

Question 61

A(n) ____________________ is an operation designed to encourage and observe criminal behavior so the officers can make an arrest.

Question 62

Most promotions in policing have ____________________ requirements.

Question 63

Mackenzie is familiar with street life. She was a drug dealer who spent time in jail and prison and then cleaned up her act after she was arrested for the third time. When she was in prison she learned a lot from her fellow inmates. Now, she spends most of her time hanging out with her friends, some of whom are still dealers. This gives her a chance to be "in the know" but not in trouble.
Mackenzie has been in contact with the police again but this time they want her help. They want to know about a particular inmate she served time with and the crimes that that inmate committed. What type of policing aligns best with what Mackenzie will tell the police

A)Order maintenance
B)Intelligence-led policing
C)Problem-oriented policing
D)Street-level drug enforcement

Question 64

Designated police patrol areas are called ____________________.

Question 65

The ____________________ model is the term used to describe the role of the police as maintainers of community order and safety.​

Question 66

____________________ policing strategies require police agencies to identify particular long-term community issues and to develop strategies to eliminate these issues.

Question 67

The ________ is the top administrator of the police department who sets policy and has general control over departmental practices.​

Question 68

____________________ is an aggressive law enforcement style that emphasizes attacking crimes head-on and in advance rather than waiting for calls for service.

Question 69

The statement "Neighborhoods give off crime-promoting signals" is a point made by ___________________ in the broken windows model.

Question 70

Started in New York City, __________is/was a means of directing police efforts in a more productive way.

Question 71

____________________ is another term for the order maintenance function of police.

Question 72

Mackenzie has seen with her own eyes how a nice neighborhood can go downhill into disorder and chaos. She is a product of a neighborhood that once was okay and now is full of deteriorated housing. What would be one lesson that she has learned from growing up where she did

A)Neighborhood disorder creates fear.
B)Hot spot policing works in reducing crime.
C)Improving response time reduces crime.
D)Directed policing creates mistrust.

Question 73

To achieve the goals of community-oriented policing, some police agencies have tried to decentralize, which is referred to as ______ policing. ​

Question 74

One aggressive patrol program, known as the ____________________, was directed at restricting the carrying of guns in high-risk places at high-risk times.

Question 75

A_________________ involves organized groups of detectives or patrol officers working in plain clothes who deceive criminals into openly committing illegal acts or conspiring to engage in criminal activity.

Question 76

_______ is the use of scientific techniques to investigate questions of interest to the justice system to solve crimes.

Question 77

Defining roles, changing supervisor attitudes, and revised training are challenges of ______ policing.​

Question 78

____________________ are groups of police officers who enforce morality-based laws such as prostitution.

Question 79

​Stopping or reducing crime by convincing potential criminals that they stand a significant risk of being apprehended and punished is referred to as the ________.

Question 80

Gary has been reassigned to a patrol unit that is focused on reducing youth crime by saturating the area with police officers. Gary has become part of a ______ policing unit.

A)community-oriented
B)hot spot
C)aggressive
D)Problem-oriented