Community Policing Exam Questions and Answers Already Passed
Community Policing definition - Answers Philosophy that promotes organization strategies; the
systematic use if partnerships and problem-solving techniques to proactively address the immediate
conditions that give rise to public safety issues such as crime, social disorder, and fear of crime.
Community policing promotes - Answers 1. Community, government, and police partnerships. 2.
Proactive problem solving to prevent crime. 3. Community engagement to address the causes of crime,
fear of crime, and other community issues.
Three eras of policing - Answers Political Era (1840 to 1930) - patronage system.
Reform Era (1930 to 1980) - progressive era, disassociate police from politics.
Community Era - community support, problem solving.
Major features of community policing - Answers Regular contact b/w police and citizens. Department
wide philosophy and wide acceptance. Internal/external influence and respect for officers. Well defined
role including proactive and reactive policing. Direct service. Citizens identify problems/cooperate.
Police accountability. Officer is leader and catalyst.
Three essential elements of community policing - Answers Partnerships. Problem solving. Organizational
change.
Four dimensions for viewing community policing - Answers Philosophical - citizen input, broadened
function, personalized service.
Strategic - reoriented operations, geographic focus, prevention emphasis.
Tactical - positive energy interactions, partnerships, problem solving.
Organizational
5 attitudes of police officers - Answers 1. Tough cops. 2. Clean beat crime fighters. 3. Avoiders. 4.
Problem solvers. 5. Professionals.
Factors influencing citizen satisfaction in police - Answers Demographic variables, neighborhood crime
conditions, experiences with police.
Four expectations of citizens - Answers Want to explain their situation to police. Want police to be
unbiased, neutral, fair, objective. Want to be treated with dignity and respect. Want police to consider
their needs and concerns about their wellbeing.
Building blocks of ethics - Answers Integrity, honesty, values, standards, courage, and civility.
Problem oriented policing - Answers Department wide strategy aimed at solving persistent community
problems by grouping incidents to identify problems and to determine possible underlying causes.
, Six elements of a problem CHEERS - Answers Community, harm, expectation, events, recurring,
similarity.
Effective vs. Efficient - Answers Efficiency is minimizing waste, expense, or unnecessary effort; results in
a high ratio of output to input; doing things right. Effectiveness is producing the desired results or goal;
doing the right things.
SARA model of problem solving - Answers Scanning - identifying recurring problems and prioritizing.
Analysis - examines causes, scope and effects.
Response - acting to alleviate problem.
Assessment - evaluating the effectiveness of the intervention.
Process v Impact evaluation - Answers Process determines if the response was implemented as planned.
Impact determines if the problem declined.
DOC model of ethical decisions - Answers Dilemmas-Options-Consequences. Challenges officers to
carefully consider their decisions and the short/long term consequences of those decisions with the goal
of fusing problem solving and morality.
Routine activity theory definition - Answers Principle of environmental criminology that states crime
occurs at the intersection of a motivated offender, a suitable target, and an absent or ineffective
guardian.
Least effort principle - Answers Concept proposing that criminals tend to commit acts of crime within a
comfort zone located near but not close to their residence.
Communication process - Answers Involves a sender, message, channel, receiver and sometimes
feedback.
Three consequences of two or more cultures - Answers Assimilation - melting pot.
Cultural pluralism - hyphenated cultures Italian Americans.
Cultural conflict.
Discrimination manifests in two ways - Answers Some individuals or groups get preferential treatment.
Or persons of equal stature may be treated unequally.
Collaboration - Answers Occurs when a number of agencies and individuals make a commitment to work
together and contribute resources to obtain a common, long-term goal.
Community Policing definition - Answers Philosophy that promotes organization strategies; the
systematic use if partnerships and problem-solving techniques to proactively address the immediate
conditions that give rise to public safety issues such as crime, social disorder, and fear of crime.
Community policing promotes - Answers 1. Community, government, and police partnerships. 2.
Proactive problem solving to prevent crime. 3. Community engagement to address the causes of crime,
fear of crime, and other community issues.
Three eras of policing - Answers Political Era (1840 to 1930) - patronage system.
Reform Era (1930 to 1980) - progressive era, disassociate police from politics.
Community Era - community support, problem solving.
Major features of community policing - Answers Regular contact b/w police and citizens. Department
wide philosophy and wide acceptance. Internal/external influence and respect for officers. Well defined
role including proactive and reactive policing. Direct service. Citizens identify problems/cooperate.
Police accountability. Officer is leader and catalyst.
Three essential elements of community policing - Answers Partnerships. Problem solving. Organizational
change.
Four dimensions for viewing community policing - Answers Philosophical - citizen input, broadened
function, personalized service.
Strategic - reoriented operations, geographic focus, prevention emphasis.
Tactical - positive energy interactions, partnerships, problem solving.
Organizational
5 attitudes of police officers - Answers 1. Tough cops. 2. Clean beat crime fighters. 3. Avoiders. 4.
Problem solvers. 5. Professionals.
Factors influencing citizen satisfaction in police - Answers Demographic variables, neighborhood crime
conditions, experiences with police.
Four expectations of citizens - Answers Want to explain their situation to police. Want police to be
unbiased, neutral, fair, objective. Want to be treated with dignity and respect. Want police to consider
their needs and concerns about their wellbeing.
Building blocks of ethics - Answers Integrity, honesty, values, standards, courage, and civility.
Problem oriented policing - Answers Department wide strategy aimed at solving persistent community
problems by grouping incidents to identify problems and to determine possible underlying causes.
, Six elements of a problem CHEERS - Answers Community, harm, expectation, events, recurring,
similarity.
Effective vs. Efficient - Answers Efficiency is minimizing waste, expense, or unnecessary effort; results in
a high ratio of output to input; doing things right. Effectiveness is producing the desired results or goal;
doing the right things.
SARA model of problem solving - Answers Scanning - identifying recurring problems and prioritizing.
Analysis - examines causes, scope and effects.
Response - acting to alleviate problem.
Assessment - evaluating the effectiveness of the intervention.
Process v Impact evaluation - Answers Process determines if the response was implemented as planned.
Impact determines if the problem declined.
DOC model of ethical decisions - Answers Dilemmas-Options-Consequences. Challenges officers to
carefully consider their decisions and the short/long term consequences of those decisions with the goal
of fusing problem solving and morality.
Routine activity theory definition - Answers Principle of environmental criminology that states crime
occurs at the intersection of a motivated offender, a suitable target, and an absent or ineffective
guardian.
Least effort principle - Answers Concept proposing that criminals tend to commit acts of crime within a
comfort zone located near but not close to their residence.
Communication process - Answers Involves a sender, message, channel, receiver and sometimes
feedback.
Three consequences of two or more cultures - Answers Assimilation - melting pot.
Cultural pluralism - hyphenated cultures Italian Americans.
Cultural conflict.
Discrimination manifests in two ways - Answers Some individuals or groups get preferential treatment.
Or persons of equal stature may be treated unequally.
Collaboration - Answers Occurs when a number of agencies and individuals make a commitment to work
together and contribute resources to obtain a common, long-term goal.
