Wisconsin 720-Hour Recruit Academy - Phase 1
WISCONSIN 720 ACADEMY PHASE 1 | VERIFIED EXAM QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS - LATEST VERSION 2026/2027
WISCONSIN 720-HOUR LAW ENFORCEMENT RECRUIT ACADEMY
PHASE 1
1. Which figure is credited with founding the first modern professional
police force through the 1829 Metropolitan Police Act?
A. J. Edgar Hoover
B. Allan Pinkerton
C. Sir Robert Peel
D. August Vollmer
ANSWER : C. Sir Robert Peel
Peel's Act created London's Metropolitan Police, the model for modern
professional policing.
2. According to Peel's principles, the ability of the police to perform
their duties depends most on which factor?
A. Public approval and cooperation
B. The quality of police technology
C. The severity of criminal penalties
D. The number of officers on patrol
ANSWER : A. Public approval and cooperation
Peelian principles stress that police legitimacy rests on public approval
and willing cooperation.
Page 1 of 62
, Wisconsin 720-Hour Recruit Academy - Phase 1
3. Which era of American policing was marked by close ties between
police and local politicians, with officers often hired through
patronage?
A. The community problem-solving era
B. The homeland security era
C. The reform era
D. The political era
ANSWER : D. The political era
In the political era (roughly 1840s-1930s) police were tied to ward
politics and patronage.
4. August Vollmer, an early police chief in Berkeley, California, is best
known for promoting which of the following?
A. The creation of the SARA model
B. College education and scientific methods in police work
C. Civilian review boards
D. Mandatory arrest policies
ANSWER : B. College education and scientific methods in police
work
Vollmer is called the father of American police professionalism for
pushing education, training, and science.
5. The 'broken windows' theory of Wilson and Kelling holds that:
A. Random patrol is the most effective crime deterrent
B. Crime is caused solely by poverty
C. Arrest rates alone determine crime levels
D. Visible disorder left unaddressed can lead to more serious crime
ANSWER : D. Visible disorder left unaddressed can lead to more
serious crime
The theory links neglected minor disorder to neighborhood decline and
more serious crime.
Page 2 of 62
, Wisconsin 720-Hour Recruit Academy - Phase 1
6. What did the 1972-73 Kansas City Preventive Patrol Experiment
conclude?
A. Changing the level of routine preventive patrol had no significant
effect on crime or citizen fear
B. Doubling patrol eliminated burglary
C. Motorized patrol was less effective than foot patrol
D. Removing patrol caused a sharp rise in violent crime
ANSWER : A. Changing the level of routine preventive patrol had
no significant effect on crime or citizen fear
Routine random patrol levels made no measurable difference in crime
rates or fear of crime.
7. Which policing model emphasizes motorized patrol, rapid response
to calls, and professional detachment from the community?
A. The community policing model
B. The political model
C. The intelligence-led model
D. The professional (reform) model
ANSWER : D. The professional (reform) model
The reform era relied on preventive patrol and rapid response, keeping
officers socially distant from citizens.
8. What was the significance of the 1931 Wickersham Commission
report?
A. It authorized federal police training academies
B. It documented police misconduct, including the 'third degree,' and
called for professionalization
C. It created the FBI
D. It established the exclusionary rule
ANSWER : B. It documented police misconduct, including the 'third
degree,' and called for professionalization
The commission exposed abusive interrogation practices and urged
reform and training.
Page 3 of 62
, Wisconsin 720-Hour Recruit Academy - Phase 1
9. In the SARA problem-solving model, which step involves determining
whether the response actually reduced the problem?
A. Analysis
B. Assessment
C. Scanning
D. Response
ANSWER : B. Assessment
SARA stands for Scanning, Analysis, Response, and Assessment; the last
step evaluates results.
10. The 2015 report that outlined six pillars for improving police-
community relations was issued by which body?
A. The Knapp Commission
B. The President's Task Force on 21st Century Policing
C. The Kerner Commission
D. The Wickersham Commission
ANSWER : B. The President's Task Force on 21st Century Policing
The Task Force's pillars include trust and legitimacy, policy and
oversight, and officer wellness and safety.
SECTION 2: ETHICS AND PROFESSIONALISM
11. The Law Enforcement Code of Ethics commonly recited by recruits
was adopted in 1957 by which organization?
A. The American Bar Association
B. The American Civil Liberties Union
C. The U.S. Department of Justice
D. The International Association of Chiefs of Police
ANSWER : D. The International Association of Chiefs of Police
The IACP adopted the Code in 1957 as a statement of professional
standards.
Page 4 of 62
WISCONSIN 720 ACADEMY PHASE 1 | VERIFIED EXAM QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS - LATEST VERSION 2026/2027
WISCONSIN 720-HOUR LAW ENFORCEMENT RECRUIT ACADEMY
PHASE 1
1. Which figure is credited with founding the first modern professional
police force through the 1829 Metropolitan Police Act?
A. J. Edgar Hoover
B. Allan Pinkerton
C. Sir Robert Peel
D. August Vollmer
ANSWER : C. Sir Robert Peel
Peel's Act created London's Metropolitan Police, the model for modern
professional policing.
2. According to Peel's principles, the ability of the police to perform
their duties depends most on which factor?
A. Public approval and cooperation
B. The quality of police technology
C. The severity of criminal penalties
D. The number of officers on patrol
ANSWER : A. Public approval and cooperation
Peelian principles stress that police legitimacy rests on public approval
and willing cooperation.
Page 1 of 62
, Wisconsin 720-Hour Recruit Academy - Phase 1
3. Which era of American policing was marked by close ties between
police and local politicians, with officers often hired through
patronage?
A. The community problem-solving era
B. The homeland security era
C. The reform era
D. The political era
ANSWER : D. The political era
In the political era (roughly 1840s-1930s) police were tied to ward
politics and patronage.
4. August Vollmer, an early police chief in Berkeley, California, is best
known for promoting which of the following?
A. The creation of the SARA model
B. College education and scientific methods in police work
C. Civilian review boards
D. Mandatory arrest policies
ANSWER : B. College education and scientific methods in police
work
Vollmer is called the father of American police professionalism for
pushing education, training, and science.
5. The 'broken windows' theory of Wilson and Kelling holds that:
A. Random patrol is the most effective crime deterrent
B. Crime is caused solely by poverty
C. Arrest rates alone determine crime levels
D. Visible disorder left unaddressed can lead to more serious crime
ANSWER : D. Visible disorder left unaddressed can lead to more
serious crime
The theory links neglected minor disorder to neighborhood decline and
more serious crime.
Page 2 of 62
, Wisconsin 720-Hour Recruit Academy - Phase 1
6. What did the 1972-73 Kansas City Preventive Patrol Experiment
conclude?
A. Changing the level of routine preventive patrol had no significant
effect on crime or citizen fear
B. Doubling patrol eliminated burglary
C. Motorized patrol was less effective than foot patrol
D. Removing patrol caused a sharp rise in violent crime
ANSWER : A. Changing the level of routine preventive patrol had
no significant effect on crime or citizen fear
Routine random patrol levels made no measurable difference in crime
rates or fear of crime.
7. Which policing model emphasizes motorized patrol, rapid response
to calls, and professional detachment from the community?
A. The community policing model
B. The political model
C. The intelligence-led model
D. The professional (reform) model
ANSWER : D. The professional (reform) model
The reform era relied on preventive patrol and rapid response, keeping
officers socially distant from citizens.
8. What was the significance of the 1931 Wickersham Commission
report?
A. It authorized federal police training academies
B. It documented police misconduct, including the 'third degree,' and
called for professionalization
C. It created the FBI
D. It established the exclusionary rule
ANSWER : B. It documented police misconduct, including the 'third
degree,' and called for professionalization
The commission exposed abusive interrogation practices and urged
reform and training.
Page 3 of 62
, Wisconsin 720-Hour Recruit Academy - Phase 1
9. In the SARA problem-solving model, which step involves determining
whether the response actually reduced the problem?
A. Analysis
B. Assessment
C. Scanning
D. Response
ANSWER : B. Assessment
SARA stands for Scanning, Analysis, Response, and Assessment; the last
step evaluates results.
10. The 2015 report that outlined six pillars for improving police-
community relations was issued by which body?
A. The Knapp Commission
B. The President's Task Force on 21st Century Policing
C. The Kerner Commission
D. The Wickersham Commission
ANSWER : B. The President's Task Force on 21st Century Policing
The Task Force's pillars include trust and legitimacy, policy and
oversight, and officer wellness and safety.
SECTION 2: ETHICS AND PROFESSIONALISM
11. The Law Enforcement Code of Ethics commonly recited by recruits
was adopted in 1957 by which organization?
A. The American Bar Association
B. The American Civil Liberties Union
C. The U.S. Department of Justice
D. The International Association of Chiefs of Police
ANSWER : D. The International Association of Chiefs of Police
The IACP adopted the Code in 1957 as a statement of professional
standards.
Page 4 of 62
