State Trooper Situational Judgment and Ethics 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A fellow trooper asks you to falsify a minor detail in a traffic accident report to help a friend avoid liability. What should you do?
- Refuse and report the request to a supervisor (Correct answer)
- Comply since the detail is minor
- Alter the report but document your objection privately
- Ignore the request and say nothing
Correct answer: Refuse and report the request to a supervisor
Falsifying any official report violates the law and department integrity standards, and the request itself must be reported.
Question 2: You stop a vehicle and recognize the driver as the mayor. The driver has a valid registration but smells of alcohol. What is the appropriate action?
- Administer field sobriety tests as you would for any driver (Correct answer)
- Issue a warning and let the mayor go out of professional courtesy
- Call your supervisor before taking any action
- Ask the mayor to park the car and arrange a ride
Correct answer: Administer field sobriety tests as you would for any driver
Equal enforcement of the law regardless of status is a core ethical obligation of law enforcement officers.
Question 3: During a traffic stop, a driver offers you cash to 'let this one slide.' What is the correct response?
- Refuse the money, complete the stop lawfully, and document the bribery attempt (Correct answer)
- Refuse the money and issue a citation without documenting the offer
- Accept it only if you planned to give a warning anyway
- Decline politely and release the driver without further action
Correct answer: Refuse the money, complete the stop lawfully, and document the bribery attempt
Accepting a bribe is a crime; the attempt must be documented and reported per department policy.
Question 4: You observe a senior trooper using excessive force during an arrest with no apparent justification. What should you do?
- Intervene to stop the excessive force and report the incident (Correct answer)
- Wait and see if the supervisor addresses it later
- Say nothing because the senior officer outranks you
- Assist the senior officer to avoid conflict
Correct answer: Intervene to stop the excessive force and report the incident
Officers have a duty to intervene when witnessing excessive force and to report it through proper channels.
Question 5: A victim in a domestic violence case begs you not to arrest her partner because she fears financial hardship. What do you do?
- Follow mandatory arrest laws and departmental policy regardless of the victim's request (Correct answer)
- Honor her wishes since she is the victim and knows her situation best
- Arrest the suspect only if you personally believe the threat was serious
- Mediate on the scene and return later if violence reoccurs
Correct answer: Follow mandatory arrest laws and departmental policy regardless of the victim's request
Many states have mandatory arrest policies in domestic violence cases that officers must follow regardless of victim preference.
Question 6: You accidentally damage a parked vehicle while moving your patrol car in a parking lot. No one witnessed the incident. What should you do?
- Leave a note, report it to dispatch, and document it in your duty log (Correct answer)
- Drive away since no one saw it happen
- Leave a note only if the damage is significant
- Wait to see if the owner contacts dispatch before filing a report
Correct answer: Leave a note, report it to dispatch, and document it in your duty log
Officers are held to the highest standards of honesty and must self-report accidents involving department vehicles.
Question 7: A citizen files a complaint alleging that you used profanity during a stop, which you did not do. What is the best course of action?
- Cooperate fully with the internal affairs investigation and provide your account honestly (Correct answer)
- Recruit witnesses to discredit the complainant before the investigation begins
- Refuse to participate since the allegation is false
- File a counter-complaint against the citizen for filing a false report
Correct answer: Cooperate fully with the internal affairs investigation and provide your account honestly
Officers must cooperate with legitimate investigations and allow the process to establish the facts.
State Trooper Situational Judgment and Ethics 2
A fellow trooper asks you to falsify a minor detail in a traffic accident report to help a friend avoid liability.
What should you do?