Q&A Hero

Q: The Gates v. Illinois (1983) decision abandoned rigid adherence to the Aguilar-Spinelli criteria in favor of a __________ approach to determining probable cause.

Q: Forty-nine of the fifty U.S. states have a primary state law enforcement agency.

Q: Probable cause is evaluated by examining the __________ of the police at the time of the arrest or search, not merely the personal knowledge of the arresting or searching officer.

Q: Section 287 (g) of the 1996 Immigration and Nationality Act allows deputization of local police officers to help enforce federal immigration laws.

Q: Some anti-illegal-immigration advocates say "sanctuary cities" shield foreign criminals from deportation and hamper federal efforts to combat illegal immigration and terrorism.

Q: Probable cause to search means that there is a __________ probability that contraband or evidence of a crime will be found in a particular place.

Q: Many small remote towns and villages cannot afford to hire local police officers and often rely on state troopers based in areas far away.

Q: U.S. law enforcement has developed over the years based on a philosophy of local control.

Q: A seizure of property occurs when there is some __________ with an individual's possessory interests in that property.

Q: In terms of applying the privacy right that exists under the Fourth Amendment, the amendment is said to protect __________, not __________.

Q: The governmental power to make or enforce laws in Indian country is divided among federal, state, and tribal governments.

Q: The Federal Witness Security Program (Federal Witness Protection Program) is administered by the FBI.

Q: Other Fourth Amendment considerations, such as warrants, reasonableness, exigency, and good faith, are factors that are considered subservient to probable cause. a. True b. False

Q: A criminal informant's credibility (veracity/truthfulness) must always be established by a statement of underlying facts and circumstances. a. True b. False

Q: Most police departments are very small, with about 87 percent employing fewer than 25 sworn officers.

Q: Ordinary citizen informants, even when the tip is given anonymously, are always presumed credible (trustworthy) and no further evidence of credibility need be stated in the affidavit beyond their name and address and their status as a victim of, or witness to, a crime. a. True b. False

Q: The decision in Illinois v. Gates (1983) completely overruled the Aguilar-Spinelli criteria for establishing probable cause based on informant information . a. True b. False

Q: The ______________ of 1919 was one of the most significant events in the history of policing, and it increased interest in police reform.

Q: In addition to the civil rights movement of the 1960s, demonstrations, marches, and civil disobedience also took place on __________across the nation.

Q: When an officer's experience and expertise is relevant to the probable cause determination, the officer must be able to explain sufficiently the basis of that opinion so that it "can be understood by the average reasonably prudent person." a. True b. False

Q: Assuming that no exception to the warrant requirement is relevant, weaker evidence is more likely to justify the issuance of a warrant than it is to justify a warrantless search or arrest. a. True b. False

Q: The _______________ gives law enforcement new ability to search, seize, detain, or eavesdrop in their pursuit of possible terrorists.

Q: ____________________ is the computer-based management program that many say was responsible for New York City's drop in crime in the mid to late 1990s.

Q: The most turbulent eras for American policing were the ____________________.

Q: The U.S. Supreme Court has a strong preference that arrests and searches be authorized by a warrant. a. True b. False

Q: Warrantless police actions are presumed to be unreasonable unless based on probable cause. a. True b. False

Q: The first state police agency was the ____________________.

Q: The ____________ is considered the first form of English police officer.

Q: A "search" occurs when an expectation of privacy that society is prepared to recognize is infringed. a. True b. False

Q: When the police obtain a handwriting or voice sample from a criminal suspect, this action constitutes a seizure, thereby implicating the Fourth Amendment. a. True b. False

Q: The "watch and ward" required all men to serve on the ___________.

Q: A law enforcement officer's perceptions that a crime is being committed in his or her presence clearly provide _____ to arrest the person committing the crime. a. absolute suspicion b. reasonable suspicion c. absolute cause d. probable cause

Q: The ____________________ were the members of the military appointed by Roman Emperor Augustus to protect the palace and the emperor.

Q: Which best characterizes the concept(s) necessary for understanding the application of Fourth Amendment? a. privacy only b. privacy and reasonableness, only c. privacy and probable cause, only d. privacy, reasonableness, and probable cause

Q: ____________________ established the first large scale, uniformed, paid, civil police force in London.

Q: After it has been determined that a person has standing to make a Fourth Amendment claim and that a "search" or "seizure" has occurred, the final inquiry is to find whether _____. a. probable cause exists b. the exclusionary rule can be invoked c. there was a violation of privacy d. the search or seizure was reasonable

Q: During the 1960's, the largest problem for city police was: a. corruption b. urban riots c. the use of new technology d. new training requirements

Q: The leading case on corroboration of information provided by an informant is _____. a. Dawson v. State (1971) b. Spinelli v. United States (1969) c. Aguilar v. Texas (1964) d. Illinois v. Gates (1983)

Q: What law gives law enforcement new ability to search, seize, detain, or eavesdrop in their pursuit of possible terrorists?a. Charles Manson arrestb. the L.A. shootoutc. reinstatement of the death penaltyd. Rodney King beating

Q: Select the most accurate characterization of the U.S. Supreme Court's current view toward the Aguilar-Spinelli two-prong criteria. a. The criteria are a good reference point for analyzing probable cause based on informant information, but the applicability to all cases is limited. b. Rigid application of the criteria is the best way to analyze probable cause based on informant information. c. The criteria are so outdated that the case is completely useless in assessing probable cause. d. The criteria are a good ending point of the probable cause analysis, but there are several steps that need to occur first.

Q: In 1991, what Los Angeles incident inflamed police community relations?a. Charles Manson arrestb. the L.A. shootoutc. reinstatement of the death penaltyd. Rodney King beating

Q: Which statement about the concept of reasonableness, as it applies to Fourth Amendment inquiries, is true? a. The term "correctness" can be substituted for "reasonableness." b. Reasonableness is determined on a case-by-case basis. c. Reasonableness is conservatively construed by the courts. d. Reasonableness is the least important consideration.

Q: William J. Bratton completely reengineered the New York City Police Department to make reducing crime its primary objective. What vehicle did he use to accomplish this mission? a. creating SWAT b. adding helicopters to the police force c. CompStat d. community policing

Q: The 1960s saw the U.S. Supreme Court focus on: a. expansion of governmental authority b. broad interpretation of the Fourth Amendment c. individual rights d. corporate rights

Q: Which concept is so important that it has been referred to as the "touchstone" of the Fourth Amendment? a. the exclusionary rule b. privacy c. reasonableness d. probable cause

Q: Serious attempts were made to reform the police during which century? a. 17th b. 18th c. 19th d. 20th

Q: What legislation became law in 1920 and established National Prohibition? a. Olmstead Act b. Homestead Act c. Volstead Act d. Federal Judiciary Act of 1789

Q: United States v. De Los Santos, 810 F.2d 1326 (5th Cir. 1987) illustrates the _____. a. near-impossibility of satisfying the totality of circumstances test b. willingness of police to use information that has limited validity c. limited importance of obtaining corroborating information d. continuing validity of the Aguilar-Spinelli two- pronged test

Q: Which Massachusetts governor fired all the striking police officers during the Boston Police Strike and later became president of the United States?a. Woodrow Wilsonb. Calvin Coolidgec. Theodore Rooseveltd. Ronald Reagan

Q: Reasons the U.S. Supreme Court put into effect the totality of the circumstances test for assessing informant information based on the Illinois v. Gates (1983) decision include _____. a. the Aguilar-Spinelli criteria were so flexible as to be nonsensical b. the fluidity of the concept of probable cause c. Aguilar-Spinelli made it too easy to obtain a search warrant d. the need decision factors that could be used is all cases

Q: The term _____ means strengthening or confirming the information supplied by the informant with supporting information obtained by law enforcement officers. a. attenuation b. corroboration c. discovery d. verification

Q: By the 1880s, what private national detective agency had offices in nearly two dozen cities?a. Brinksb. Pinkertonc. Wells Fargod. Rocky Mountain Detective Association

Q: The first state police agency was the: a. Arizona Rangers b. New Mexico Mounted Patrol c. Texas Rangers d. Nevada Posse

Q: What is the most effective way to assess reliability of a criminal informant's information? a. the number of convictions his/her information has produced b. the number of arrests his/her information has produced c. the accuracy of the past information provided by the informant d. a positive assessment from the officer who obtained the information

Q: When information from a criminal informant is used, the name of the informant _____. a. must always be reported in the affidavit b. may not ever be reported in the affidavit c. need not be disclosed unless the informant information is part of an agreement with the prosecutor in a pending criminal case against the informant d. need not be disclosed if his or her credibility is otherwise satisfactorily established

Q: The Unites State's largest and most famous police department is the: a. New York Police Department b. Chicago Police Department c. Los Angeles Police Department d. Capitol Police Department

Q: Some courts require additional information to establish the veracity/truthfulness of an ordinary citizen informant if the citizen merely provides an anonymous tip. Which issue is a primary factor, mentioned in the text (State v. White, Ga. App. 1990), used by Georgia courts to assess the veracity/truthfulness of an anonymous tip? a. the testimony of the officer receiving the tip as to its credibility b. whether the information is from a "concerned citizen" c. whether the citizen had provided valid tips in the past d. whether the tipster had firsthand or secondhand knowledge

Q: Based on the Aguilar-Spinelli criteria, in order to establish probable cause in a situation where informant information is secondhand, the affidavit must _____. a. show how the third person knows the information furnished to the informant b. show how the third person knows the information furnished to the informant and why the information from the informant is credible or reliable c. show how the third person knows the information furnished to the informant and why the information, from both the informant and the 3rd party, is credible or reliable d. show how the third person knows the information furnished to the informant; why the information, from both the informant and the 3rd party, is credible or reliable; and that the information could not be obtained using any other method

Q: A form of community self-protection developed by King Alfred the Great in the latter part of the ninth century England was/were the: a. Vigiles b. hue and cry c. shire-reeve d. mutual pledge

Q: During the eighteenth century, the most common form of American law enforcement was/were: a. constables in the day and the watch at night b. the state police c. the military d. the hue and cry

Q: A citizen contacts the local police department and alleges that a particular person is dealing drugs out of his home. The citizen states that (s)he thought the police should know, but that (s)he does not "want to get involved by giving my name." What information would the officer need to state in the affidavit to satisfy the first prong of Aguilar-Spinelli (basis of knowledge)? a. The name of the high school student that purchased the drugs. b. How, when, and where the informant obtained the information. c. How, when, and where the drug dealer obtained the drugs that were sold. d. The reasons to believe that the informant was providing truthful information.

Q: Following the decision in Illinois v. Gates (1983), _____. a. all states and the federal government have adopted the totality of circumstances approach b. all states adopted totality of circumstances, but the federal government retained the Aguilar-Spinelli criteria c. the totality of circumstances approach was subsequently overruled d. some states rejected the Gates decision and retained the Aguilar-Spinelli criteria on the basis of their own state constitutions

Q: According to the Statute of Winchester, when would persons be required to assist the watch? a. during a storm b. when the watch pronounced the hue and cry c. when the police officers were on leave d. when sworn in by the sheriff

Q: Law enforcement in the Old West was generally relegated to the: a. county sheriff and town marshal b. county marshal and town sheriff c. chief of police and county sheriff d. military provost and town marshal

Q: The cases of Aguilar v. Texas (1964) and Spinelli v. United States (1969) established a process for evaluating probable cause based on informant information. According to this test, the informant _____. a. need not be judged as credible b. cannot be a criminal c. must have a "sufficient basis" for the knowledge d. must have personally perceived the information

Q: The method of establishing probable cause through the use of an informant's information is often referred to as the _____. a. informant method b. third party method c. indirect discovery method d. hearsay method

Q: Many historians and scholars indicate that _____ in the American South were the precursor to the modern American system of policing. a. the Praetorian Guard b. slave patrols c. thief-takers d. Vigiles

Q: Which is not part of the Comp-Stat 4-step process? a. Accurate intelligence b. Rapid deployment of personnel c. Follow-up and assessment d. Incident planning

Q: Who is generally credited with establishing the first police department in London, England? a. Henry Fielding b. Sir Robert Peel c. Patrick Colquhoun d. Sir Charles Rowan

Q: Which of the following, standing alone, can serve as the basis for probable cause? a. an admission b. presence at a crime scene or a high crime area c. association with other known criminals d. past criminal conduct

Q: The lowest form of social organization or mutual pledge created by King Alfred the Great in England was: a. tithing b. hundred c. shire d. thousand

Q: Which of the following, standing alone, can serve as the basis for probable cause? a. flight of a person from an area b. furtive conduct c. false or improbable answers to questions d. observation and evaluation of real or physical evidence

Q: After 9/11, a new department was created by the government. This department is: a. the U.S. Marshal's b. INS c. Homeland Security d. TSA

Q: A patrol officer stops a car and makes an arrest on the basis of information obtained from a bulletin that officers in another jurisdiction are looking for the driver of a certain car that was described in the bulletin. Assume that the information contained in the bulletin was incorrect. Which statement would be true? a. The arrest would still be considered valid. b. The arresting officer is shielded from any civil liability for false arrest. c. The arrest would still be valid and the officer is shielded from any civil liability for false arrest. d. The arrest would not be valid and the officer is not shielded from any civil liability for false arrest.

Q: The members of the military appointed by Roman Emperor Augustus to protect the palace and the emperor were called the: a. Royal Guard b. Praetorian Guard c. Roman Guard d. Praefectus Urbi

Q: An officer receives information from dispatch that another jurisdiction is looking for a blue Ford Mustang with Louisiana license plates and a large dent in the passenger side door. The officer spots a car fitting this description. Which statement is true? a. The officer does not have justification to stop the car and investigate further. b. The officer has justification to stop the car and investigate because probable cause is based on the collective knowledge of the police. c. The officer has justification to stop the car and investigate because (s)he has personal knowledge of the crime. d. The officer has justification to stop the car and investigate simply because the motor vehicle is being operated in the jurisdiction of the officer.

Q: The first specialized investigative unit in Rome was called "questors," which means: a. finders of criminals b. capturers c. enforcers d. trackers of murders

Q: The preference that a search and/or seizure be authorized by a warrant is based on the idea that _____. a. judgments should be made by a neutral and detached individual b. police are not qualified to make probable cause determinations c. courts may force police to take action when they otherwise would not d. prosecutors may inadvertently encourage less than honest behavior

Q: Which statement about the concept of probable cause is true? a. The concept is strikingly similar to the "preponderance of evidence" and "beyond a reasonable doubt" standards that are used in court proceedings. b. Whether probable cause exists is determined by considering only the subjective perceptions of the officer(s) involved. c. The concept of probable cause is a finely tuned standard that has a precise understanding among those who use it. d. The concept deals with probability that evidence will be found or that the individual committed an offense.

Q: The word police comes from the Latin word "politia," which means: a. civil administration b. military administration c. use of force d. power of the ruler