Situational Judgment Scenarios Flashcards

You notice a colleague regularly submitting overtime hours that do not match the shift logs you have seen. What is the appropriate response?

Answer: Report your concerns through the appropriate internal affairs or supervisory channel

Suspected time fraud should be reported through proper channels such as internal affairs or a supervisor, not handled informally.

During a search incident to arrest, you find a large amount of cash on a suspect. No drugs or contraband are found. You should:

Answer: Document the amount, allow the suspect to account for it, and seize only if there is probable cause beyond possession

Cash alone is not contraband; officers must document the find and establish additional probable cause before civil asset forfeiture is appropriate.

A crowd is gathering at the scene of a protest and tensions are rising. Your supervisor is unavailable. What is the BEST immediate action?

Answer: Monitor the situation, maintain a visible but non-confrontational presence, and try to reach your supervisor

When tensions are rising but no law has been broken, maintaining a calm, visible presence and attempting to reach command is the appropriate initial response.

You are dispatched to a welfare check for an elderly resident who has not been seen in days. You knock and get no answer. What do you do?

Answer: Contact neighbors for information, attempt other entry points, and consider exigent circumstances if there is reason to believe the person is in danger

Gathering additional information and assessing exigent circumstances ensures a lawful and proportionate response to welfare checks.

A driver you stopped tells you they are a judge and implies that you should let them go. You should:

Answer: Treat them the same as any other driver and issue a citation if warranted

Equal enforcement of the law applies to all citizens regardless of profession or status; professional courtesy that bypasses enforcement is a form of misconduct.

You discover that a confidential informant has been providing false information that led to a wrongful arrest. What is the BEST course of action?

Answer: Immediately report the false information to a supervisor, document the issue, and initiate steps to correct the wrongful arrest

Officers must act immediately to correct wrongful arrests and report CI misconduct through proper supervisory channels.

You are the first officer at a scene where a fellow officer has been shot and is down. There is no active threat visible. What is your FIRST action?

Answer: Secure the immediate area, call for EMS, and provide first aid to your colleague

Once the immediate threat is neutralized, officer survival protocols require rendering aid and calling EMS as the top priority.