OACP Situational Judgement and Ethics 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: You witness a senior officer accept a free meal from a restaurant owner who has a pending noise complaint against his establishment. What is the most appropriate action?
- Ignore it since the meal is a minor benefit
- Report the incident through the appropriate internal channels (Correct answer)
- Confront the senior officer publicly in the restaurant
- Warn the restaurant owner about offering gifts to officers
Correct answer: Report the incident through the appropriate internal channels
Accepting gifts from individuals with pending complaints creates a conflict of interest and must be reported through proper channels regardless of the officer's rank.
Question 2: During a domestic disturbance call, the victim asks you not to arrest her partner because she fears losing household income. What should guide your decision?
- Respect the victim's wishes and leave without arresting
- Arrest based on evidence and legal obligation, explaining support resources available (Correct answer)
- Delay action until the couple resolves the financial concern
- Contact social services and take no further police action
Correct answer: Arrest based on evidence and legal obligation, explaining support resources available
Officers must act on evidence and legal duty; victim financial concerns do not override legal obligations, though support resources should be communicated.
Question 3: A community member offers you confidential information about drug activity but demands that no report be filed about the conversation. How should you respond?
- Agree to keep it entirely off the record to protect the source
- Explain that you must document information received but can explore source-protection options (Correct answer)
- Decline to hear the information if it cannot be properly reported
- Take notes personally and decide later whether to file a report
Correct answer: Explain that you must document information received but can explore source-protection options
Officers are obligated to document information received in the line of duty, though formal source-protection mechanisms exist to safeguard informants.
Question 4: Your partner uses excessive force during an arrest while you are present. After the incident, your partner asks you to omit that detail from your report. What do you do?
- Omit the detail to support your partner's account
- Document the incident accurately and report the excessive force through proper channels (Correct answer)
- Write a vague report that avoids directly contradicting your partner
- Speak to a supervisor verbally but leave the written report neutral
Correct answer: Document the incident accurately and report the excessive force through proper channels
Accurate and complete reporting is a core ethical obligation; covering up excessive force violates policy, law, and public trust.
Question 5: You stop a vehicle and recognize the driver as a city councillor you have met at community events. The driver appears impaired. What is the correct course of action?
- Allow the councillor to call a driver and let them go with a warning
- Proceed with standard sobriety testing procedures as you would for any driver (Correct answer)
- Contact a supervisor first before conducting any sobriety tests
- Issue a non-criminal roadside warning due to the councillor's public position
Correct answer: Proceed with standard sobriety testing procedures as you would for any driver
The law applies equally to all individuals regardless of status or profession; standard impaired-driving procedures must be followed.
Question 6: During a search of a suspect's home under a valid warrant, you find evidence of a separate, unrelated serious crime. What should you do?
- Ignore it because the warrant does not cover that offence
- Seize the evidence under the plain-view doctrine and document it properly (Correct answer)
- Leave and obtain a new warrant before touching anything
- Photograph only and inform the Crown Attorney before taking any action
Correct answer: Seize the evidence under the plain-view doctrine and document it properly
The plain-view doctrine allows officers to seize evidence of crimes discovered incidentally during a lawful search.
Question 7: A fellow officer confides that they have been struggling with substance abuse but has not sought help. What is the most ethical response?
- Keep it confidential to protect your colleague's career
- Encourage the officer to seek help through the Employee Assistance Program and remind them of their duty-of-care obligations (Correct answer)
- Immediately report the officer to Internal Affairs without speaking to them first
- Monitor the officer's performance informally before deciding whether to act
Correct answer: Encourage the officer to seek help through the Employee Assistance Program and remind them of their duty-of-care obligations
Supporting a colleague toward professional help addresses both their well-being and public safety while respecting procedural fairness.
OACP Situational Judgement and Ethics 2
You witness a senior officer accept a free meal from a restaurant owner who has a pending noise complaint against his establishment.
What is the most appropriate action?