RCMP Problem Solving 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: You observe a fellow officer using excessive force during an arrest. What is your obligation under the RCMP's Code of Conduct?
- Ignore it because it is not your arrest
- Intervene to stop the excessive force and report the incident (Correct answer)
- Support your colleague to maintain unit cohesion
- Advise the suspect to file a complaint later
Correct answer: Intervene to stop the excessive force and report the incident
The RCMP Code of Conduct requires officers to intervene when witnessing excessive force and to report such conduct through proper channels.
Question 2: You are conducting a search of a residence under a warrant. You find evidence of a separate, unrelated crime not listed on the warrant. What should you do?
- Seize all evidence since you are already lawfully present
- Leave the unrelated evidence since it falls outside the warrant scope
- Note the location of the unrelated evidence and immediately seek an additional warrant (Correct answer)
- Destroy the unrelated evidence to keep the investigation focused
Correct answer: Note the location of the unrelated evidence and immediately seek an additional warrant
The plain view doctrine may apply, but obtaining an additional warrant for unrelated evidence ensures Charter compliance and protects the case.
Question 3: You stop a cyclist who is riding against traffic at night without lights. The cyclist is a minor. What is the most balanced response?
- Issue a full adult traffic citation
- Explain the safety risk, advise the youth, and consider notifying a parent or guardian (Correct answer)
- Arrest the minor for a traffic violation
- Ignore the infraction since cyclists are rarely enforced
Correct answer: Explain the safety risk, advise the youth, and consider notifying a parent or guardian
For minor youth infractions, education and parental notification are often more appropriate and effective than formal enforcement.
Question 4: During a wellness check you find an elderly person who is confused and alone. There is no obvious criminal element. What is your primary responsibility?
- Leave since no crime has been committed
- Ensure the person's immediate safety and connect them with appropriate social or medical services (Correct answer)
- Arrest the person for their own protection
- Contact a lawyer before taking any action
Correct answer: Ensure the person's immediate safety and connect them with appropriate social or medical services
Officer response to wellness checks includes safeguarding vulnerable individuals and facilitating access to appropriate care.
Question 5: A complainant asks you to keep their identity confidential because they fear retaliation. How should you handle this request?
- Guarantee complete anonymity regardless of legal requirements
- Explain the limits of confidentiality and take reasonable steps to protect their safety (Correct answer)
- Refuse to take the complaint if they insist on anonymity
- Immediately disclose their identity to the suspect to expedite resolution
Correct answer: Explain the limits of confidentiality and take reasonable steps to protect their safety
Officers can take reasonable protective measures but must be honest about the limits of confidentiality within disclosure laws.
Question 6: You pull over a vehicle and find the registered owner has a suspended licence. The person driving matches the owner's description. What is your next step?
- Issue a warning and let them drive home
- Confirm the driver's identity through documents and further questioning before taking action (Correct answer)
- Arrest immediately without further verification
- Assume it is a different person and clear the stop
Correct answer: Confirm the driver's identity through documents and further questioning before taking action
Positive identification of the driver must be confirmed before enforcement action to avoid errors and rights violations.
Question 7: You respond to a noise complaint at an apartment. The tenant says the noise is from a domestic dispute next door. You hear no noise upon arrival. What do you do?
- Leave immediately since the noise has stopped
- Knock on the neighbor's door, identify yourself, and conduct a welfare check (Correct answer)
- Break down the neighbor's door to check on occupants
- Charge the complaining tenant with filing a false report
Correct answer: Knock on the neighbor's door, identify yourself, and conduct a welfare check
Absence of current noise does not preclude a welfare check, as domestic incidents can pause and escalate rapidly.
RCMP Problem Solving 4
You observe a fellow officer using excessive force during an arrest.
What is your obligation under the RCMP's Code of Conduct?