Deck 2: The Nature of Police Work

Question 1

One explanation for the development of organized police forces in the early 1800s was the failure of the military to deal effectively with:

A) property crime
B) violent crime
C) civil disorder
D) drug smuggling

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Since the 1800s, police work has gradually evolved in the direction of being more crime-focused because:

A) there is a lot more crime today
B) there is less disorder than there used to be
C) the public has less need of routine services than formerly was the case
D) the public's expectation that the police should prevent and fight crime has grown

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Thinking of the police function mainly as law enforcement is misleading because:

A) what the police mainly do is hassle people
B) the police have discretion and often choose not to enforce the law
C) everybody breaks the law and most are never caught
D) the main duties of the police are social services that have nothing to do with the law

Answer 3

B

Question 4

According to the Police Services Study conducted in 24 police agencies, the greatest proportion of police encounters with the public were related primarily to:

A) crime-related problems
B) disorder-related problems
C) traffic-related matters
D) service-related matters

Question 5

According to the most recent national study, police use force in ______________ percent of their contacts with the public.

A) less than 2
B) about 10
C) about 25
D) more than 50

Question 6

When police agencies were first created in the 1800s, their main responsibility was investigating crimes.

Question 7

Police in the 1800s gave a lot of attention to enforcing traffic laws, including speed enforcement.

Question 8

Of the wide range of circumstances and situations that the police confront, they actually enforce the law rather infrequently.

Question 9

The police have the greatest amount of discretion in citizen-initiated law enforcement situations.

Question 10

The most common behavior that police engage in during encounters with the public is the use of force.

Question 11

When did the role of police officers become more centered around criminal apprehension and crime investigation rather than the maintenance of order?

A) 1980s and 1990s
B) late 1800s
C) 1950s and 1960s
D) 1920s

Question 12

Police patrolling was expected to deter crime by creating a sense of police _______.

A) control
B) surveillance
C) omnipresence
D) all of the above

Question 13

Which of the following was not one of the reasons for police duties changing from mostly order maintenance to crime fighting?

A) The police sought professional status.
B) The media influenced the public's perception of police work.
C) The police became less influenced by community norms and more influenced by legal norms.
D) Crime rates increased during the reform era

Question 14

Which of the following was not one of the major duties of police officers in the 1800s?

A) watching for fires
B) investigating thefts
C) controlling alcoholics and vagrants
D) inspecting businesses and taverns

Question 15

A primary skill of policing is effective communication.