Professionalism & Communication
Professionalism
What do we call the conduct, appearance, and attitude expected of a law enforcement officer?
Crime Scene
What do investigators call the location where a crime occurred or where evidence related to a crime may be found?
De-escalation
What techniques can an officer use to reduce tension and gain voluntary cooperation during a potentially volatile encounter?
Ethics
What principles guide decisions about right and wrong in professional conduct?
Probable Cause
What level of facts and circumstances generally justifies an arrest or the issuance of a search warrant?
Observation
What skill requires an officer to notice and accurately identify details that may be important to an investigation?
Active Listening
What communication skill requires an officer to focus on what a person is saying and demonstrate understanding?
Physical Evidence
What type of evidence includes objects or materials such as fingerprints, weapons, and clothing?
Proportionality
What principle requires the level of force used to be appropriate to the circumstances and threat encountered?
Conflict of Interest
What situation occurs when an officer's personal interests could improperly influence professional duties?
Reasonable Suspicion
What legal standard allows an officer to briefly detain someone when specific, articulable facts indicate possible criminal activity?
Witness
What person may provide information about a crime based on what they saw, heard, or otherwise experienced?
Nonverbal Communication
What type of communication includes facial expressions, gestures, posture, and eye contact?
Contamination
What occurs when evidence is altered, damaged, or exposed to foreign material that could affect its reliability?
Verbal Commands
What clear spoken directions may an officer use to gain compliance during an encounter?
Accountability
What principle requires officers to answer for their decisions and actions?
Search Warrant
What court authorization generally permits law enforcement to search a specified place for described evidence?
Interview
What investigative method involves asking a person questions to gather information about an incident?
Chain of Command
What organizational structure identifies who reports to whom within a law enforcement agency?
Chain of Custody
What record documents who collected, handled, transferred, and stored evidence?
Reasonableness
What legal standard evaluates whether an officer's actions were appropriate under the circumstances?
Misconduct
What term describes improper behavior or a violation of professional rules by an officer?
Due Process
What constitutional principle requires the government to follow fair legal procedures?
Incident Report
What official document records the facts, actions, and information associated with a reported event?
Integrity
What personal quality requires an officer to be honest and do the right thing even when no one is watching?
Perimeter
What boundary is established to restrict access to a crime scene and protect evidence?
Duty to Intervene
What responsibility may require an officer to act to stop another officer's use of unlawful or excessive force?
Corruption
What is the abuse of official authority for personal gain or an improper benefit called?
Presumption of Innocence
What principle means an accused person is considered innocent unless the prosecution proves guilt under the applicable legal standard?
Objectivity
What principle requires an investigator to evaluate facts fairly without allowing personal opinions or assumptions to influence conclusions?