Deck 4: Politics and Police Administration

Question 1

What U.S. Supreme Court decision banned the use of illegally seized evidence in criminal cases by the states?

A) Mapp v. Ohio
B) Gideon v. Wainwright
C) Escobedo v. Illinois
D) Miranda v. Illinois

Answer 1

Mapp v. Ohio

Question 2

What U.S. Supreme Court decision further required that legal counsel be appointed for all indigent felony defendants?

A) Ferman v. Georgia
B) Miranda v. Illinois
C) Gideon v. Wainwright
D) Mapp v. Ohio

Answer 2

Gideon v. Wainwright

Question 3

In which of the following U.S. Supreme Court decisions did the court rule that the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution does not forbid warrantless arrests for minor criminal or traffic offences?

A) Gideon v. Wainwright
B) Carroll v. the United States
C) Atwater v. City of Lago Vista
D) Wells v. City of Punta Gorda

Answer 3

Atwater v. City of Lago Vista

Question 4

The legalistic style of law enforcement is found in:

A) Economically declining cities with traditional political machines.
B) Homogeneous suburban communities.
C) Cities with heterogeneous populations and reform-oriented professional government.
D) Rural and agricultural areas.

Question 5

When a local system of government is referred to as "the strong mayor," this means that:

A) The mayor is elected and serves as the chief executive officer of the city.
B) The mayor is a strong political figure in local government.
C) The mayor has a forceful personality.
D) The mayor does not have to be concerned with the other branches of government.

Question 6

The legally defined roles of city councils are fairly consistent throughout the United States. Namely, they act as the:

A) Chief executive and policy-making body.
B) Chief legislative and policy-making body.
C) Chief administrative and policy-making body.
D) Chief executive and legislative-making body.

Question 7

When friction occurs between the police and the news media, it frequently emanates from:

A) Corruption within the police department.
B) Acts of police brutality.
C) Incompetence in the police department's investigation of serious crimes.
D) Events surrounding a major crime or unusual occurrence.

Question 8

The legal status of a county sheriff is unique in which two ways?

A) The sheriff is appointed by the county board and serves only two years.
B) The sheriff is protected by a constitutional amendment which bans any civil litigation against his or her department; this amendment cannot be changed without a vote yielding a two-thirds majority ruling.
C) The sheriff is actually an elected state official and has local authority granted under the U.S. Constitution.
D) In most states, the office of sheriff is an elected position and is specified under the state constitution.

Question 9

According to Wilson, the watchman style is most often found in:

A) Economically declining cities with traditional political machines.
B) Homogeneous suburban communities.
C) Cities with heterogeneous populations and reform-oriented professional government
D) Rural and agricultural areas.

Question 10

According to Wilson, the service style if most often found in:

A) Homogenous suburban communities.
B) Rural and agricultural areas.
C) Economically declining cities with traditional political machines.
D) Cities with heterogeneous populations and reform oriented professional government.

Question 11

Proponents of this form of local government contend that it provides the most conducive atmosphere in which professional law enforcement can operate.

A) Strong mayor.
B) Weak mayor.
C) City manager.
D) City council.

Question 12

In this form of local government, the employment of the Chief if largely tied to the whims of the mayor.

A) Strong mayor.
B) Weak mayor.
C) City manager.
D) City council.

Question 13

What is the average tenure of police chiefs?

A) 1 to 2 years.
B) 3 to 6 years.
C) 7 to 10 years.
D) Less than 1 year.

Question 14

In this case, the court held that an error made by the trial court in admitting illegally obtained evidence does not require an automatic reversal of the conviction if the error is determined to be harmless.

A) Arizona v. Fulminate
B) Gideon v. Wainwright
C) Escobedo v. Illinois
D) Miranda v. Illinois

Question 15

A public officer within a jurisdiction representing the citizenry of a state or county who charges and prosecutes and individual for a crime is known as the:

A) Judiciary.
B) Citizen oversight committee.
C) Prosecutor.
D) Sheriff.

Question 16

What is the process by which people who are not sworn officers are involved in some way in the review of citizen complaints against police officers?

A) Judiciary.
B) Citizen oversight.
C) Community audit.
D) Citizen commission hearing.

Question 17

Private groups and public interest organizations, such as the ACLU, have been involved in attacking:

A) Community disorder.
B) School violence.
C) Terrorism.
D) Police misconduct.

Question 18

Chambers of commerce often have mobilized behind a police chief to get much-needed budget increases for:

A) Salaries.
B) Additional personnel.
C) Equipment.
D) All of the above.

Question 19

Which U.S. code specifically provides a mechanism for filing a civil tort action against individual police officers?

A) Title 42, Section 1983, titled Civil Action for Deprivation of Rights.
B) Title 7, Section 1999, titled Action against Police Officers.
C) Title 10, the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act.
D) Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1972.

Question 20

After delegitimizing racial profiling as a police practice, some police officers have described numerous characteristics other than traffic violations that potentially make one car more suspicious than another, leaving open the possibility of individual officer racial bias in stops and searches. These factors include which of the following:

A) Loud music.
B) Cars they feel are "out of place".
C) Bumper stickers connected to drug cultures
D) All of the above.

Question 21

Which state was the first to enact stringent laws on immigration in 2010?

A) Texas
B) Florida
C) Arizona
D) New Mexico

Question 22

The ____________ enforcement policies, procedures for review of all arrests before their presentation in court, and overall supervision of the cases prepared by the police have an observable effect on police practices and enforcement policies.

Question 23

Nothing has fueled the political fire between police and minorities more than the use of ____________ as criteria in decision making during discretionary traffic and field interrogation stops.

Question 24

The legally defined roles of a ____________ consistently makes it the chief legislative and policymaking body in a municipality.

Question 25

Sheriffs are ____________ in all but two states.

Question 26

If ____________ consistently interject their personal biases into the judicial process and make it very clear to the police they will dismiss certain categories of violations, the police may discontinue enforcing that law.

Question 27

____________ rests on the assumption that because of the police subculture, police officers cannot objectively investigate complaints against fellow officers.

Question 28

The role of ____________ is to audit or monitor the operations of the police department, including the complaint process.

Question 29

In the case of major crimes or incidents, police departments do not want to release information to the ____________ that will jeopardize the safety of the public or its officers, impair the right of a suspect to a fair and impartial trial, or impede the progress of an investigation.

Question 30

Critics of the police argue that civil damage suits are a much more useful deterrent to ___________ than any type of internal disciplinary sanction.

Question 31

Some police organizations and human-rights groups are concerned that deputizing local officers to handle ____________ enforcement, a duty which has traditionally been handled by ICE, may have a negative effect on the relationship with the immigrant community in their jurisdiction.

Question 32

Explain citizen oversight and compare and contrast the two models of citizen oversight.

Question 33

Explain how the roles of the police and media can lead to conflict between the two groups.

Question 34

Explain how the "due process revolution" continues to have an impact on modern police practices.

Question 35

Match the term from Column 1 to its definition in Column 2. Each item in Column 2 will be used only once.

-Citizen oversight

A) The consideration of race as a key factor in police decisions to stop and interrogate citizens.
B) In the negative sense, refers to attempts to impose external, partisan political influence on the operation of a police department; in the positive, governance of a city.
C) A group that plays an important role in police accountability, especially as it relates to allegations of police misconduct.
D) A process by which people who are not sworn officers are involved in some way in the review of citizen complaints against police officers.
E) A public officer within a jurisdiction representing the citizenry of a state or county who charges and prosecutes an individual for a crime.
F) A period, or term, during which a position is held.
G) A system of courts of law that administer justice.

Question 36

Match the term from Column 1 to its definition in Column 2. Each item in Column 2 will be used only once.

-Judiciary

A) The consideration of race as a key factor in police decisions to stop and interrogate citizens.
B) In the negative sense, refers to attempts to impose external, partisan political influence on the operation of a police department; in the positive, governance of a city.
C) A group that plays an important role in police accountability, especially as it relates to allegations of police misconduct.
D) A process by which people who are not sworn officers are involved in some way in the review of citizen complaints against police officers.
E) A public officer within a jurisdiction representing the citizenry of a state or county who charges and prosecutes an individual for a crime.
F) A period, or term, during which a position is held.
G) A system of courts of law that administer justice.

Question 37

Match the term from Column 1 to its definition in Column 2. Each item in Column 2 will be used only once.

-Politics

A) The consideration of race as a key factor in police decisions to stop and interrogate citizens.
B) In the negative sense, refers to attempts to impose external, partisan political influence on the operation of a police department; in the positive, governance of a city.
C) A group that plays an important role in police accountability, especially as it relates to allegations of police misconduct.
D) A process by which people who are not sworn officers are involved in some way in the review of citizen complaints against police officers.
E) A public officer within a jurisdiction representing the citizenry of a state or county who charges and prosecutes an individual for a crime.
F) A period, or term, during which a position is held.
G) A system of courts of law that administer justice.

Question 38

Match the term from Column 1 to its definition in Column 2. Each item in Column 2 will be used only once.

-Prosecutor

A) The consideration of race as a key factor in police decisions to stop and interrogate citizens.
B) In the negative sense, refers to attempts to impose external, partisan political influence on the operation of a police department; in the positive, governance of a city.
C) A group that plays an important role in police accountability, especially as it relates to allegations of police misconduct.
D) A process by which people who are not sworn officers are involved in some way in the review of citizen complaints against police officers.
E) A public officer within a jurisdiction representing the citizenry of a state or county who charges and prosecutes an individual for a crime.
F) A period, or term, during which a position is held.
G) A system of courts of law that administer justice.

Question 39

Match the term from Column 1 to its definition in Column 2. Each item in Column 2 will be used only once.

-Public interest organization

A) The consideration of race as a key factor in police decisions to stop and interrogate citizens.
B) In the negative sense, refers to attempts to impose external, partisan political influence on the operation of a police department; in the positive, governance of a city.
C) A group that plays an important role in police accountability, especially as it relates to allegations of police misconduct.
D) A process by which people who are not sworn officers are involved in some way in the review of citizen complaints against police officers.
E) A public officer within a jurisdiction representing the citizenry of a state or county who charges and prosecutes an individual for a crime.
F) A period, or term, during which a position is held.
G) A system of courts of law that administer justice.

Question 40

Match the term from Column 1 to its definition in Column 2. Each item in Column 2 will be used only once.

-Racial profiling

A) The consideration of race as a key factor in police decisions to stop and interrogate citizens.
B) In the negative sense, refers to attempts to impose external, partisan political influence on the operation of a police department; in the positive, governance of a city.
C) A group that plays an important role in police accountability, especially as it relates to allegations of police misconduct.
D) A process by which people who are not sworn officers are involved in some way in the review of citizen complaints against police officers.
E) A public officer within a jurisdiction representing the citizenry of a state or county who charges and prosecutes an individual for a crime.
F) A period, or term, during which a position is held.
G) A system of courts of law that administer justice.

Question 41

Match the term from Column 1 to its definition in Column 2. Each item in Column 2 will be used only once.

-Tenure

A) The consideration of race as a key factor in police decisions to stop and interrogate citizens.
B) In the negative sense, refers to attempts to impose external, partisan political influence on the operation of a police department; in the positive, governance of a city.
C) A group that plays an important role in police accountability, especially as it relates to allegations of police misconduct.
D) A process by which people who are not sworn officers are involved in some way in the review of citizen complaints against police officers.
E) A public officer within a jurisdiction representing the citizenry of a state or county who charges and prosecutes an individual for a crime.
F) A period, or term, during which a position is held.
G) A system of courts of law that administer justice.

Question 42

In your opinion, which of James Q. Wilson's three styles of law enforcement agencies is most appropriate for agencies to adopt and why?

Question 43

Should police chiefs be given a minimum five year contract when they are hired? Why or why not?

Question 44

Do you believe the county sheriff is more or less powerful than a city police chief? Justify your response.

Question 45

Does the state prosecutor have too much or too little influence over policies and procedures enacted by police chiefs? Justify your answer.

Question 46

In your opinion, should one of the two models of citizen oversight be used in all communities? Why or why not?