RCMP Problem Solving 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: You respond to a break-and-enter in progress. Dispatch advises the suspect may be armed. You arrive first and the suspect is fleeing on foot. What is your primary consideration?
- Pursue immediately to prevent escape at all costs
- Assess the safety of pursuit given the armed suspect risk, available backup, and environment (Correct answer)
- Do not pursue under any circumstances involving armed suspects
- Request a helicopter and wait without pursuing
Correct answer: Assess the safety of pursuit given the armed suspect risk, available backup, and environment
Pursuit decisions involving potentially armed suspects require rapid risk assessment balancing apprehension goals against officer and public safety.
Question 2: You are reviewing your notes before testifying in court and realize you made a minor factual error in your original report. What should you do?
- Alter the original report to correct the error before testifying
- Disclose the error to the Crown attorney and provide accurate testimony (Correct answer)
- Testify according to the error to avoid inconsistency
- Refuse to testify because the report is inaccurate
Correct answer: Disclose the error to the Crown attorney and provide accurate testimony
Officers must disclose report errors to the Crown and testify truthfully, as altering reports constitutes a criminal offence.
Question 3: A traffic collision involves a vehicle from another province. The out-of-province driver has no local contacts and their vehicle is undriveable. What resource should you consider?
- Arrest the driver for being unable to secure the vehicle
- Connect the driver with a towing service and advise them of their insurance and legal obligations (Correct answer)
- Leave the driver with the vehicle since they are not local residents
- Impound the vehicle indefinitely without notifying the driver
Correct answer: Connect the driver with a towing service and advise them of their insurance and legal obligations
Officers assist all persons involved in collisions by connecting them with necessary resources regardless of their province of residence.
Question 4: You are dispatched to a report of a person in crisis on a bridge. The individual is threatening to jump. What is the first priority upon arrival?
- Immediately rush the individual to prevent them from jumping
- Establish communication, request crisis negotiators, and keep the individual calm (Correct answer)
- Block the bridge and wait for the individual to come down voluntarily
- Use force to remove the individual from the bridge immediately
Correct answer: Establish communication, request crisis negotiators, and keep the individual calm
Crisis intervention best practices prioritize communication and negotiation to de-escalate without physical confrontation.
Question 5: You receive an anonymous tip that a licensed firearms owner is becoming increasingly erratic. There is no current evidence of a crime. What is the appropriate action?
- Ignore the tip since no crime has been committed
- Conduct a wellness check and consult with a supervisor regarding potential licence review processes (Correct answer)
- Immediately seize all firearms without a warrant
- Publish the tip publicly to warn the community
Correct answer: Conduct a wellness check and consult with a supervisor regarding potential licence review processes
Anonymous tips about firearms safety risks warrant a wellness check and possible administrative review even without confirmed criminal activity.
Question 6: During an arrest, a suspect claims to be experiencing a medical emergency. You are uncertain if the claim is genuine. What is the safest response?
- Ignore the claim as a common tactic to avoid arrest
- Secure the suspect and immediately request emergency medical services (Correct answer)
- Release the suspect until they recover
- Administer first aid treatment yourself without calling EMS
Correct answer: Secure the suspect and immediately request emergency medical services
Officers have a duty of care to persons in custody, and potential medical emergencies must be treated seriously regardless of perceived motivation.
Question 7: You are asked to enforce a court order that you personally believe is unjust. What is the correct course of action?
- Refuse to enforce the order based on your personal opinion
- Enforce the valid court order and address any concerns through proper legal or professional channels (Correct answer)
- Selectively enforce parts of the order you agree with
- Advise the affected party to ignore the order
Correct answer: Enforce the valid court order and address any concerns through proper legal or professional channels
Officers are obligated to enforce valid court orders regardless of personal opinion; disagreement must be addressed through lawful channels.
RCMP Problem Solving 5
You respond to a break-and-enter in progress.
Dispatch advises the suspect may be armed.
You arrive first and the suspect is fleeing on foot.
What is your primary consideration?