Roles of Police
What two-word motto summarizes many police departments’ commitment to the public?
"To Serve and Protect."
What is community policing?
A strategy where officers work closely with community members and provide services not directly tied to law enforcement to build trust and solve problems.
List two basic requirements most agencies expect of police applicants (choose any two).
U.S. citizenship; no felony convictions; valid driver’s license/eligibility; at least 21 years old; meet weight and eyesight requirements.
As of the 2010s, approximately what percentage of local police departments required at least a high school diploma?
84 percent.
Which level of law enforcement usually has the broadest authority to arrest, maintain order, and provide services?
Municipal law enforcement (local police).
Name one example of a non-law-enforcement service police commonly provide
directing traffic, emergency medical procedures, counseling in domestic disputes, giving directions, finding lost children.
What drug do many law enforcement agents carry to reverse opioid overdoses?
Naloxone/Narcan.
During hiring, what type of checks often examine applicants’ criminal, driving, and credit histories?
Extensive background checks and tests (including drug tests, record reviews, and credit checks).
What term describes minority officers being viewed with suspicion by both the police and their communities?
Double marginality.
What is one duty of a county sheriff’s department besides law enforcement (name any one)?
maintaining the county jail; serving court processes; investigating violent crimes; keeping order in courthouses.
What legal power (action) allows police to act before a crime occurs to preserve peace?
The power of arrest (or force) to prevent an imminent crime; power to act before a crime occurs to preserve the peace.
What term describes using past crime data to predict future crime patterns?
Predictive policing or intelligence-led policing (ILP)
What is the typical age minimum for police applicants?
21 years old.
Name two problems women in policing commonly face
sexual harassment; being seen as mentally soft or physically weak; tokenism; extra scrutiny and lack of mentorship.
Name two federal agencies under the Department of Homeland Security that play a central role in crime or counterterrorism.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP); U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE); U.S. Secret Service.
Give one specific way police can prevent a crime through their presence (use the rape/patrol car example).
A patrol car cruising an area can dissuade a rapist from attacking a solitary woman.
Name the LAPD program mentioned that used data to identify a “hot spot” and increase patrols.
Operation LASER.
Describe the difference between academy training and field training.
Academy training is classroom/militarized instruction on laws, weapons, and procedures; field training pairs recruits with a field training officer (FTO) to apply skills on the streets.
Give one argument presented for why a diverse police force benefits law enforcement.
Minority officers may have greater credibility in neighborhoods of their own race/ethnicity, improving community–police relations and aiding crime prevention and investigation.
What federal agency has jurisdiction over nearly two hundred federal crimes, including espionage and civil rights violations?
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Summarize Jerome Skolnick’s two common public responses when crime rates rise.
1) Punish convicted criminals more harshly; (2) Demand police prevent crimes from occurring.
Explain the “warrior–guardian split” in policing culture in one or two sentences.
One side emphasizes aggression and use of force (warrior); the other emphasizes de-escalation and avoiding conflict (guardian).
What is the typical length range of a probationary period for new officers?
Six to eighteen months.
Define “tokenism” in the context of women in law enforcement.
The belief that women were hired or promoted only to meet diversity goals rather than on merit.
Give an example of “secondary policing” might do?
Private work done by off-duty police for private companies or agencies (moonlighting) — e.g., traffic control at construction sites or crowd control at events.