Reading Comprehension Manual - FPSI - 201708041044348716

NATIONAL POLICE SELECT TEST™
READING COMPREHENSION
MANUAL
for
ENTRY-LEVEL
LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS
This study guide was developed for the NPST only by:
Copyright © 2014 FPSI
All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

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Reading Comprehension Manual
Table of Contents
Traffic Operations .................................................... 1
Community-Oriented Policing and Problem

Solving Policing (COPPS) ..................................... 13
Optional Practice Test Order Form ...................... 23
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Traffic Operations
This section contains elements and samples of traffic operations from various
jurisdictions around the country.
This Reading Comprehension study guide has been designed to help you learn
and apply information necessary for an accompanying Law Enforcement
Officer exam. This manual contains information similar to what a law
enforcement officer might need while on the job.
The information in this section may not necessarily correspond to the specific
definitions, laws, or practices of the jurisdiction to which you are applying. The
purpose of this guide and accompanying test is to determine your ability to read,
learn and recall new law enforcement-related information.
When taking the test itself, please remember that your answers should
be derived only from the information contained inside this study guide.
Copyright © 2014 FPSI 1

Traffic Function & Responsibility
Purpose and Scope

The ultimate goal of traffic law enforcement is to reduce traffic collisions. This may be
achieved through the application of such techniques as geographic/temporal assignment of
personnel and equipment and the establishment of preventive patrols to deal with specific
categories of unlawful driving behavior. Traffic enforcement techniques are based on
accident data, enforcement activity records, traffic volume, and traffic conditions. Many
agencies provide enforcement efforts towards violations, not only in proportion to the
frequency of their occurrence in accident situations but also in terms of traffic-related needs.
Traffic Officer Deployment

Several factors are considered in the development of deployment schedules for officers.
Information provided by the Integrated Traffic Reporting System (ITRS) is a valuable
recourse for traffic accident occurrences and therefore officer deployment. Some of the
factors for analysis include:
1. Location
2. Time
3. Day
4. Violation factors
All officers assigned to patrol or traffic enforcement functions will emphasize enforcement of
accident causing violations during high accident hours and at location of occurrence. All
officers will take directed enforcement action on request, and random enforcement action
when appropriate against violators as a matter of routine. All officers shall maintain high
visibility while working general enforcement, especially at high accident locations.
Other factors to be considered for deployment are citizen requests, construction zones or
special events.
Enforcement
Enforcement actions are commensurate with applicable laws and take into account the degree
and severity of the violation committed. Most departments do not establish ticket quotas and
the number of arrests or citations issued by any officer shall not be used as the sole criterion
for evaluating officer overall performance. Several methods are effective in the reduction of
collisions and include:
Warnings
Warnings or other non-punitive enforcement actions should be considered in each

situation and substituted for arrests or citations when circumstances warrant, especially
in the case of inadvertent violations.
2 Copyright © 2014 FPSI

Citations
Citations may be issued when an officer feels it is appropriate. It is essential that

officers fully explain the rights and requirements imposed on motorists upon issuance
of a citation for a traffic violation. Officers should provide the following information
at a minimum:
1. Explanation of the violation or charge
2. Court appearance procedure including the optional or mandatory appearance by the

motorist
Physical Arrest
Physical arrests can be made for a number of criminal traffic offenses as outlined in
the Vehicle Code or Penal Code. These physical arrest cases usually deal with, but are
not limited to:
1. Vehicular manslaughter
2. Felony and misdemeanor driving under the influence of alcohol/drugs
3. Felony or misdemeanor hit-and-run
4. Any other misdemeanor at the discretion of the officer (e.g., reckless driving with
extenuating circumstances, etc.)
Suspended or Revoked Driver’s Licenses

If an officer encounters a traffic violator for driving on a suspended or revoked license, the
officer shall issue a traffic citation. If a computer check of a traffic violator’s license status
reveals a suspended or revoked driver’s license, and the traffic violator still has his or her
license in possession, the license is to be seized by the officer. The officer will verbally
advise the traffic violator of the suspension or revocation and issue the citation. The officer
will be responsible for completing a Verbal Notice Form and forwarding that form and license
to the Traffic Bureau.
Reflectorized Vests
In order to reduce the danger to employees exposed to the hazards of approaching traffic,
reflectorized vests are provided to increase the visibility of employees. Although intended
primarily for traffic-related use, reflectorized vests should be worn at any time increased
visibility would improve the safety and/or efficiency of the employee.
Care and Storage of Reflectorized Vests

One reflectorized vest shall be maintained in the trunk of each patrol and investigation unit
and side box of each police motorcycle. The vest should be stored inside a resealable plastic
bag to protect the vest and to keep it in a serviceable condition.

A supply of reflectorized vests will be maintained in the Patrol Bureau equipment room for
replacement of damaged or unserviceable vests in any police unit. When a need exists to
replenish the equipment room supply, the Training Manager should be notified immediately.
Guidelines for Use of Reflectorized Vests

Reflectorized vests should be worn at any time an officer anticipates prolonged exposure to
the hazards of approaching traffic created by assignment to duties such as traffic control or
accident investigation. Officers may use their discretion regarding the wearing of vests during
daylight hours. Use is strongly encouraged while directing traffic during hours of darkness or
when visibility is limited due to inclement weather conditions. Vests maintained in the
investigation units may be used any time a plain-clothes officer might benefit from being
easily identified as a police officer. Use of the vests is mandatory when a supervising officer
directs their use to be appropriate.
Traffic Collision Reporting
Purpose and Scope

Many police departments prepare traffic collision reports in compliance with their ITRS
manual and make traffic collision reports available to the community with some exceptions.
Responsibility
The Traffic Bureau Commander will be responsible for the distribution of the ITRS manual.
The Traffic Bureau Commander will receive and distribute all changes to the manual to ensure
conformity with this policy.
Traffic Collision Reports

All Traffic Collision Reports taken by members of the police department shall be forwarded to
the Traffic Bureau for approval and data entry into their records management system. The
Traffic Bureau Commander will be responsible for monthly and quarterly reports on traffic
collision statistics.
Reporting Situations
Traffic Collisions with Police Department Employees
When an employee of a police department, either on duty or off duty, is involved in a

traffic collision within the city limits resulting in a serious injury or fatality, the Traffic
Bureau manager or the Watch Commander, may notify the State Highway Patrol for
assistance.
The term serious injury is defined as any injury that may result in a fatality.

Traffic Collisions with Other City Employees or Officials
The Traffic Bureau Manager may request assistance from the State Highway Patrol for
the investigation of any traffic collision involving any city official or employee where
a serious injury or fatality has occurred.
Traffic Collisions on Private Property
In compliance with the ITRS, traffic collision reports shall not be taken for traffic
collisions occurring on private property unless there is a death or injury to any person
involved, a hit-and-run violation, or vehicle code violation. A Traffic Information
Report may be taken at the discretion of any supervisor.
Traffic Collisions on Roadways or Highways
Traffic collision reports shall be taken when they occur on a roadway or highway
within the city limits when there is a death or injury to any persons involved in the
collision, a violation of the vehicle code, or if one is requested by either driver for a
traffic collision report.
Towing Vehicles Involved in Traffic Collisions
A collision report will be required if a vehicle is damaged in a collision and a tow

truck is necessary. Towing of a vehicle from a collision scene at the request of the
driver when the vehicle would not otherwise be in need of towing, does not require a
traffic collision report unless there is a death, an injury, a vehicle code violation or if
one is requested by either driver for a report.
Vehicle Towing Policy
Purpose and Scope

This policy provides procedures for towing a vehicle that has become the responsibility of the
police department.
Responsibilities
The responsibilities of those employees storing or impounding a vehicle are as follows:
Completion of necessary forms
Officers requesting storage of a vehicle shall complete a “Storage Form” that includes
a description of property found within the vehicle. A copy is to be given to the tow
truck operator. The Records Bureau should be notified as soon as practical and
Records Bureau personnel shall promptly enter pertinent data from the completed
storage form.

Once a storage form is approved and forwarded to the Traffic Bureau, Traffic
personnel shall mail a copy of the approved storage form to the legal and registered
owners of the stored vehicle within 48 hours after it has been stored, unless the vehicle
has been released.
Removal of Vehicle Disabled in a Traffic Collision

When a vehicle has been involved in a traffic collision and must be removed from the scene,
the officer shall direct the driver to select a towing company, if possible, and shall relay the
request for the specified towing company to the dispatcher. When there is no preferred
company requested, a company will be selected from the “no preference” towing company list
in Communications. The time it will take the driver-requested tow company to respond will
determine if that tow or a rotational tow company will be used. Tow companies should be
able to respond within 20 minutes from the time they are called.
If the owner is incapacitated, or if for any reason it is necessary for the Police Department to
assume responsibility for a vehicle involved in a collision, the officer shall request the
dispatcher to call the next tow company listed on the rotational list.
Vehicle Inventory Searches

All property in a stored or impounded vehicle shall be inventoried and listed on the vehicle
storage form. This includes the trunk and any compartments or containers, even if closed
and/or locked. Officers conducting inventory searches should be as thorough and accurate as
practical in preparing an itemized inventory. These inventory procedures are for the purpose
of protecting an owner’s property while in police custody, to protect the department against
claims of lost, stolen or damaged property, and to provide for the safety of officers.
Vehicle Impound Hearings
Purpose and Scope

This policy establishes a procedure for the requirement to provide vehicle storage or impound
hearings.
Stored or Impound Hearing

When a vehicle is stored or impounded by any member of the police department, a hearing
will be conducted upon the request of the registered or legal owner of the vehicle or their
agent.
Hearing Procedure
The vehicle storage hearing is an informal process to evaluate the validity of a stored
or impounded vehicle. Any relevant evidence may be submitted and reviewed by the
hearing officer to determine if the vehicle in question was lawfully stored or
impounded, in accordance with the police department policies and procedures.

The employee of this police department that stored or impounded the vehicle does not
need to be present for this hearing.
All requests for a hearing on a stored or impounded vehicle shall be submitted in

writing to the Traffic Bureau within ten days from the date of storage. The Traffic
Bureau Sergeant, a Traffic Officer, or another designee will generally serve as the
Hearing Officer. If a hearing is requested, it will be conducted within 48 hours of the
request excluding weekends and holidays.
The vehicle storage/impound Hearing Officer shall consider all information provided
and determine the validity of the storage or impound of the vehicle in question and
then render a decision.
A decision that the vehicle was not stored or impounded in a lawful manner or within
department policy will require that the vehicle in storage be released immediately.
Towing and storage fees will be paid at the department’s expense. If a decision is
made that the vehicle was not stored or impounded in a lawful manner within
department policy, and the vehicle is released with fees having been paid, the receipt
for such fees will be forwarded with a letter to the appropriate Division Commander.
The Hearing Officer will recommend to the appropriate Division Commander that the
fees paid by the registered or legal owner of the vehicle in question or their agent be
reimbursed by the police department.
Drunk Driving & Evidence Collection
Purpose and Scope

This policy explains the procedures to be followed while collecting evidence to establish the
blood alcohol level of drivers arrested for driving while intoxicated, unconscious drivers, and
unconscious pedestrians involved in traffic collisions because of their intoxicated state.
Chemical Testing
Most blood and breath tests will be administered at the jail. If a suspect is hospitalized, a
blood sample may be taken at the hospital. A suspect who is unable to submit to a chemical
test because of any of the following shall not be considered as refusing to comply with vehicle
code provisions:
1. Because of the inability of the police department to furnish a selected test
2. If there are verifiable medical reasons for non-compliance
3. If an attending physician refuses to allow it

Forced Withdrawal of Blood
Blood may be taken by force in any felony case when the suspect, after having been
advised of his or her rights, refuses to take a chemical test. If the suspect makes a
timely and reasonable request to undergo a different and viable form of testing, such
request shall be considered. Blood may only be taken by force when the following
circumstances have been met:
1. The suspect must be in custody and the officer must have reason to believe the
suspect is intoxicated;
2. The blood is taken in a medically approved manner; and
3. Only reasonable force may be used to restrain the arrestee.
The Watch Commander shall approve any forced withdrawal of blood and a supervisor
must be present when blood is forcibly extracted from a suspect who is uncooperative
or who has refused a chemical test. The amount of force used to collect this evidence
will be controlled by the supervisor present, keeping in the mind the following:
1. In felony cases, only that force which reasonably appears necessary to overcome the
resistance to the blood being withdrawn will be permitted; and
2. Forced withdrawal of blood is not permitted in misdemeanor cases.

Phlebotomists used by the police department shall retain custody of the blood sample
withdrawn by them and transport the sample to the crime laboratory for analysis.
When a suspect cannot submit to a blood test because he/she is a hemophiliac or is

using an anticoagulant under the discretion of a physician for a heart condition, he or
she shall not be required to take a blood test.
Collecting Urine as Evidence
If the arrested person chooses a urine test, he or she shall be promptly transported to
the jail. The jailer will furnish a urine kit for collecting samples of the arrested
person’s urine. The officer shall follow the directions listed on the container
instruction sheet. If the arrested person’s urine is necessarily collected elsewhere, the
procedure will remain the same.
The cardboard tube shall then be marked accordingly with the suspect’s name, alleged
offense, department, case number, and the name of the witnessing officer.
The urine kit shall then be placed in the evidence refrigerator and await transportation
to the Crime Laboratory. Urine samples shall be collected and/or witnessed by an
officer or matron of the same gender as the suspect.

Traffic Citations
Purpose and Scope

This policy outlines the responsibility for traffic citations, the procedure for dismissal, correction,
and voiding of traffic citations.
Responsibilities
The Traffic Bureau Commander shall be responsible for the development and design of all
Department traffic citations in compliance with State law and the Judicial Council.
The Property Clerk shall be responsible for the supply and accounting of all traffic citations issued
to employees of the police department.
Dismissal of Traffic Citations

Employees do not have the authority to dismiss a citation once it has been issued. Only the court
has the authority to dismiss a citation that has been issued. All requests from citizens to dismiss a
citation shall be referred to the Traffic Bureau Manager. Upon a review of the circumstances
involved in the issuance of the traffic citation, the Traffic Bureau Commander may authorize the
dismissal of the traffic citation. If approved, the citation being recommended for dismissal will be
forwarded to the appropriate court with a request for dismissal.
All recipients of traffic citations whose request for the dismissal of a traffic citation has been
denied shall be referred to the appropriate court.
An officer may determine that a traffic citation should be dismissed during a court proceeding in
the interest of justice or where prosecution is deemed inappropriate. In such cases, the officer
may request that the court dismiss the citation. Upon dismissal of the traffic citation by the court,
the officer shall notify his/her immediate supervisor of the circumstances.
Parking Citation Appeal Procedure
Appeal Stages
Appeals may be pursued sequentially at three different levels:
1. Administrative Reviews are conducted by the Traffic Bureau Commander or

his/her designee who will review all applicable written data. Requests for
Administrative Reviews are available at the Traffic Bureau of the police
department. These requests are informal written statements outlining why the
ticket should be dismissed, including copies of documentation relating to the ticket
and the request for dismissal must be mailed to the current mailing address
provided by the ticket processing agency.

2. If the appellant wishes to pursue the matter beyond Administrative Review, an

Administrative Hearing may be conducted in person or by written application, at the
election of the appellant. Independent referees review the existent administrative
file, amendments, and/or testimonial material provided by the appellant and may
conduct further investigation or follow-up on their own.
3. If the appellant wishes to pursue the matter beyond an Administrative Hearing, a

civil/small claims case may be presented in person by the appellant in the Superior
Court for a Judicial Review after an application for review and designated filing fees
have been paid to the Superior State Court.
Costs
1. There is no cost for an Administrative Review.
2. Appellants must pay the full amount due for the citation, or provide satisfactory
proof of their inability to pay, before receiving an Administrative Hearing.
3. A civil/small claims appeal through Superior Court requires prior payment of filing
costs including applicable court charges and fees. These costs will be reimbursed to
the appellant in addition to any previously paid fines if appellant’s liability is
overruled by the Superior Court.
72-Hour Parking Violations
Purpose and Scope

This policy provides procedures for the marking, recording, and storage of vehicles parked in
violation of the city’s ordinance regulating 72-hour parking violations and abandoned
vehicles.
Marking Vehicles
Vehicles suspected of being in violation of the 72-Hour Parking Ordinance shall be marked
and noted on the police department “Abandoned Vehicle Report Form.”
A visible chalk mark should be placed on a tire and on the pavement unless missing tires or
other vehicle conditions prevent marking in this manner. Any deviation in markings shall be
noted on the Abandoned Vehicle Report Form. All Abandoned Vehicle Report Forms shall
be submitted to the Traffic Bureau for computer data entry.

Disabled Motorists
Purpose and Scope

All law enforcement agencies having responsibility for traffic enforcement may develop and
adopt a written policy to provide assistance to disabled motorists within their primary
jurisdiction.
Officer Responsibility
When an on-duty officer observes a disabled motorist on the roadway, the officer should make
a reasonable effort to provide assistance. If that officer is assigned to a call of higher priority,
the dispatcher should be advised of the location of the disabled vehicle and the need for
assistance. The dispatcher should then assign another available officer to respond for
assistance as soon as practical.
Extent of Assistance
In most cases, a disabled motorist will require assistance. After arrangements for assistance
are made, continued involvement by police personnel will be contingent on the time of day,
the location, availability of departmental resources, and the vulnerability of the disabled
motorist.
License Suspension
Purpose and Scope

This policy provides for the immediate suspension of State Driver’s Licenses in certain
“Driving Under the Influence” (DUI) cases and in “Zero Tolerance” incidents. Officers are
required to immediately suspend driving privileges in certain situations involving arrests.
This policy also describes the policy dealing with “Zero Tolerance” laws.
Suspension of State Driver’s Licenses

The driver’s license of a person suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol shall
immediately be suspended under any of the following circumstances:
1. The arrestee refuses to submit to a chemical test
2. The arrestee fails to complete the selected test
3. The arrestee declines a breath test and demands a blood or urine test and the
arresting officer has reasonable cause to believe that the arrestee’s Blood Alcohol
Content (BAC) will exceed the .08% level

4. The arrestee completes the breath tests which show a BAC of .08% or higher
Zero Tolerance Law
This policy was enacted to reduce alcohol-related incidents involving persons under
the age of 21. A person under 21 years of age may have his or her license suspended
under the following circumstances:
1. When suspected of having consumed alcohol and refusing a Preliminary Alcohol

Screening (PAS) test
2. Where they have a blood-alcohol level of .01% or greater
“Zero Tolerance” requires the PAS device as the primary test. If the device is not
available, one of the other chemical tests must be completed. Under Zero Tolerance,
only the PAS device result is required. If the driver’s PAS reading warrants arrest and
further chemical testing, the DMV does not require completion of the “Chemical Test”
form to be completed. Once the PAS certification is complete, the Zero Tolerance
requirement has been met.
Department of Motor Vehicles Notification

The following specified items related to license suspensions must be forwarded to the
Department of Motor Vehicles within five regular business days:
1. Officer’s statement form
2. Order of suspension form
3. Copy of the printout of the breath test (if taken)
4. Traffic collision report if applicable
5. The offender’s driver’s license
* THIS IS THE END OF THE TRAFFIC OPERATIONS CHAPTER *

Community-Oriented Policing and

Problem Solving Policing (COPPS)
This section on Community-Oriented Policing and Problem Solving Policing

contains many procedures and tactics used by law enforcement agencies in dealing
with community problems and crime.
This Reading Comprehension study guide has been designed to help you learn
and apply information necessary for an accompanying Law Enforcement
Officer exam. This manual contains information similar to what a law
enforcement officer might need while on the job.
The information in this section may not necessarily correspond to the specific
definitions, laws, or practices of the jurisdiction to which you are applying. The
purpose of this guide and accompanying test is to determine your ability to read,
learn and recall new law enforcement-related information.
When taking the test itself, please remember that your answers should
be derived only from the information contained inside this study guide.

Community Policing & Problem-Oriented Policing

Introduction
Communities must take a unified stand against crime, violence, and disregard for law as well as
commit to crime prevention and other intervention activities. Today, law enforcement agencies
must help build stronger communities and citizens who can solve community problems that
contribute to crime incidents. The majority of modern police departments have at least partially
adopted an approach that represents a merger between two complimentary approaches to policing
– community policing, and problem-oriented policing. Each of these approaches has its own
historical roots. Together they are referred to as Community-Oriented Policing and Problem
Solving, or COPPS. Today, there are many large and small police and sheriff offices as well as
school, university, and other specialized policing functions that have embraced the COPPS
philosophy. Therefore, in the remainder of this text, the term police or policing is used to refer to
all such law enforcement varieties.
COPPS is a philosophy which provides strategies that help reassess responsibility for public
safety and which redefine the roles and relations between the police and the community that
require shared ownership, shared decision-making, and shared accountability. COPPS is indeed a
different way of looking at policing, involving both community partnerships and community
involvement to solve real community problems. Through COPPS, both the police and the
community become partners in addressing local crime issues.
History of Traditional Policing

Traditional policing grew out of the reform era of government in the early 1900s, which was
coupled with a national move to “police” professionalism, which, unfortunately, resulted in
separating the police from the community.
The policing strategy that is most closely related to traditional policing is referred to as Response
to Incidents (R2I). R2I is primarily oriented toward reacting to criminal or emergency events that
have already occurred. It can also include responding proactively to crime patterns with
anticipatory tactics (directed patrol, targeted identification, etc.). In traditional policing, the term
Responding Officer or “R/O” refers to police case reporting in a traditional law enforcement
setting. An offense is defined as a violation of the criminal law of a state or local jurisdiction.
Traditional police management grew from efforts to reform police work via improving the quality
of police services and increasing organizational control and accountability. Over time, such
policing became characterized by rigid organizational controls (with clearly defined lines of
authority, responsibility, and communication), limited discretion, personnel specialization,
centralization of authority, and organizational inflexibility. The traditional approach views law
enforcement as enforcing the criminal code, or order maintenance, which tended to isolate police
from the community as did other traditional policing efforts that de-emphasized community
involvement, such as centralized control, shift changes, rotating shifts and random patrols. Many
of these previous “time-honored” methods have produced limited results over time (mixed,
inclusive, or negative impact). For example, traditional notions of preventive patrols have more
recently been found to have no impact on reducing domestic violence or other common criminal
offenses.

Traditional law enforcement has never been focused on “Here is a problem, now solve it!” but
instead “Here is the criminal code, now enforce it!” In reality, much of police work deals with
non-law enforcement activities, with actual arrests typically representing only a very small percent
of the overall time and activities. In some respects this approach was maintained merely because
it was easier to use quantitative productivity measures such as number of arrests rather than more
global measures of enhanced public safety or safer communities. Thus evolved less emphasis on
crime prevention and more on maintenance of public order. This permeated decisions on
personnel staffing, organization, and personnel deployment, record keeping, communications,
mobile response, equipment, and even specialized units.
There are some concepts that derived from traditional policing that are sometimes confused with
community policing. The concept of team policing came from a movement within traditional law
enforcement called strategic policing, which was a philosophy of crime fighting which
emphasized improving the efficiency and technical capabilities of the police. Team policing
evolved as a tactic intended to help police perform traditional crime fighting more efficiently.
Although this may have its place during problem solving, this process fails to specifically assign
accountability and is not designed to tap community resources to share crime control efforts.
Although team policing may involve consultation with the community, it does not ensure
community partnering because police retain their paternalistic relationship with the public. In
contrast, community policing is designed to make crime control a collaborative effort.
History of Community Policing

Community policing was used in many U.S. cities prior to World War II, and there was an almost
exclusive use of foot patrols in larger cities such as New York and Chicago. Early on it was
recognized that police needed access to information from citizens to help deter or solve crime.
Community policing is thought to be a way to deal with rapidly changing environments by having
access to even more information.
In the 1990s there developed a national consensus that the essence of Community Oriented
Policing meant agencies must capitalize on talents, skills, and abilities of the best officers in their
departments, as well as increase community involvement and cooperation of other government
and community agencies. This approach recognizes that the traditional ways of dealing with crime
have not been very successful, so more experimentation and “smart policing” rather than just
more policing is needed for meaningful solutions.
In addition to university roots, the federal government has had a major impact on community
policing through federal funding. The Violent Crime Control Act of 1994 helped provide support
for community policing programs and provided resources such as money, training and technology
to jump start community policing programs throughout the U.S. The first round of actual federal
funding called “COPS MORE” took place in 1995 and 1996 and awarded over $530 million for
the redeployment of over 22,000 officers and deputies. Another set of funding in 1998 (“MORE
98”) was to 606 jurisdictions that shared over $229 million. By the end of 1998, $3 billion had
been spent to hire 122,000 officers. By April of 1999 there were 92,000 community police
officers funded in the U.S. In that same month, Vice President Gore and the U.S. Department of
Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services announced the awarding of $35 million
to 207 additional communities in 40 states for hiring of 526 community policing officers.

In addition, the Department of Health & Human Services and the Department of Education
awarded funds jointly in 1999 for hiring school resources officers under the “Safe
Schools/Healthy Students Program.”
More recently there has been a Community Policing Consortium formed as a partnership of five
of the leading police organizations in the U.S. These organizations have an important role in the
development of community policing research, training, and technical assistance. Funds are
provided for the Consortium by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented
Policing Services (COPS). The five partners include:
 International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP)

 National Organization of Black Law enforcement Executives (NOBLE)
 National Sheriffs’ Association (NSA)
 Police Executive Research Forum (PERF)
 Police Foundation
It is a common misconception to view community policing as soft on crime. The real challenge of
community policing is that the police can continue to accept sole responsibility for controlling
crime and that policing still involves law enforcement. But when police become an integral and
additive part of the community culture and when the community assists in allocation of resources,
such policing activities can mean more effective law enforcement.
Community Policing Tools

Foot Patrol is commonly associated with high-density situations and lends itself to greater officer
accountability as long as there is also stability in assignments. Foot patrol can vary by season,
often occurring during the summer months, but almost all U.S. departments discourage foot patrol
at night. Foot patrol is sometimes expanded merely to conserve on fuel during budgetary
restrictions. Command in foot patrol situations tends to be less centralized with chances for more
“bottom up” decisions. Some departments require officers to spend specific amounts of time on
foot patrol and to document such activity and time ratios for foot patrol versus other types of
patrol and law enforcement activities.
In a study of foot patrol, Trojanowicz (1985) noted officer reluctance to leave the patrol car to
make contact with and communicate with citizens because officers feared harassment, ridicule
and even anger from citizens. However, Trajanowicz points to evidence that officer safety may
even be enhanced during foot patrol.
Field experiments were also conducted over the years. One example of a field experiment was
the Flint, Michigan Foot Patrol Studies. It demonstrated that experienced foot patrols also
elicited citizen approval. One of the most relevant findings from this study was that 40-60% of a
motor officer’s shift was found to represent free patrol time, although it was not usually in one
block of time. Both of the above foot patrol studies also showed increased officer satisfaction in
these settings.

History of Problem Solving Policing Versus Traditional Policing Response to

Incidents
Problem solving policing has its roots in a number of historical developments, as well as research
findings and collective law enforcement experience. Recall that the traditional policing system in
the U.S. was based on Great Britain policing, an incident-based response system. The first
introduction of the concept of problem-oriented policing was by Herman Goldstein in 1979.
Goldstein and other problem-oriented policing (POP) enthusiasts felt that the police officer’s role
is far more diverse and difficult than being just a law enforcer and that there needs to be
recognition of both role difficulty and complexity. The concept was given the acronym “POP”,
which envisions the role of the police as primarily one of proactive problem solving rather than
reactive responding to calls about crime incidents.
Goldstein introduced the idea of the police role as a problem solver and pointed to problem
solving as a systematic strategy to address community crime and order maintenance concerns.
Goldstein was also the one who first pointed out the existence of a role conflict for modern
policing in that officers must perform tasks that seem inconsistent or hard to balance (e.g.,
arresting suspects to protect society while not violating citizens’ rights). POP has been in
existence for nearly three decades, but there still is a lack of understanding as well as some
misunderstanding about the nature and utility of this policing strategy or philosophy.
Problem-solving strategizing has its roots in a number of historical developments, research

findings, and collective law enforcement experiences. Traditional law enforcement in the past had
poorly equipped police officers to deal with the broad scope of police business. Many
enterprising officers in years past were using basic problem-solving techniques before such
processes were given the POP label. However, to properly use such problem-solving methods
requires that the entire organization make some adaptations and modifications. Studies of police
deployment were not subjected to structured and controlled field experiments until the 1970s and
1980s.
Definitions of Problem-Oriented Policing (POP)

Goldstein (1990) of the University of Wisconsin-Madison defined a problem in three ways,
including (1) a cluster of similar, related, or recurring incidents rather than a single incident, (2) a
substantive community concern, and (3) a unit of police business. A problem suitable for
police/community resolution typically has the following characteristics: “It is a group of related
incidents; it affects a number of people; it is unlikely to disappear without intervention; a number
of people agree to work on it; and it can be impacted with available resources.” A good example
of a POP solution to a problem of theft is the City of Chicago’s Property Hotline wherein citizens
can call in and report lost or stolen property in an efficient manner.
The POP approach is a proactive, decentralized approach to police services. In the POP approach
problem solving is not viewed as a solution to crime but an alternative way of looking at and
responding to crime. What needs to be differentiated in POP from individual problem solving
attempts is to view problem solving as a systematic strategy to address community crime and
order maintenance concerns. Some other POP definitions include:

“POP is a systematic process or strategy to identify, analyze, and respond to crime and
disorder that breed serious crime. It is also a proactive policing technique and strategy
designed to develop police/community cooperation, which have more long-term positive
impacts than devoting all police resources to chasing calls.”
Problem solving deals with complex tasks requiring complex solutions; complex roots become
the basis of crime. This strategy recognizes that many crimes have common linkages and are the
product of similar underlying causes. Serious crime is often the result of on-going order
maintenance problems left unattended or allowed to germinate.
Problem solving goes beyond problem solution and resolution and can include:
1. Eliminating the problem

2. Reducing the number of incidents
3. Reducing the seriousness of the harms (incidents)
4. Dealing with the problem better
5. Removing the problem from police responsibility
Core Concept of COPPS - Community-Oriented Policing and Problem Solving

POP can only be implemented as part of an overall program with respect to community policing.
Together these programs are referred to as COPPS or Community-Oriented Policing and Problem
Solving. COPPS is a different way of looking at policing, involving both community partnerships
and community involvement to solve real community problems. COPPS seems most compatible
with contemporary management philosophies such as Total Quality Management (TQM), value-
added management, and the corporate re-engineering approach. The COPPS philosophy
reassesses responsibility for public safety and redefines the roles and relations between the police
and the community to require shared ownership, decision-making, and accountability.
POP can, and often does, incorporate elements of community policing, especially regarding the
promotion of closer interaction with the community and the organization and incorporation of
community resources in a more systematic manner than in traditional policing. POP does not
necessitate community involvement just as COP does not always involve problem-oriented
policing. Some COPPS concepts about community beats derived from COPPS need further
definition:
Community “beats” are typically assigned to officers who are not always in patrol cars. A beat is
defined as a geographic area assigned to specific officers for patrol. For example, within the City
of Chicago there are about 280 beats. A beat car is a police car assigned to patrol a specific beat.
There are a number of related concepts relevant to the basic beat:
1. Beat Team—Refers to several officers from all the watches assigned to the same beat
as well as the sergeant who serves as team leader.
2. Beat Plan—Refers to the plan of action developed by the beat team with input from
the community on significant problems on the beat and how to address them. The
framework of analysis for the beat plan is the crime triangle that views each problem
in terms of its three legs: victim, offender, and location.

3. Beat Size—In a survey conducted with 143 U.S. community policing agencies by the
National Center for Community Policing, the size of the beat was found to vary from
both sides of one street, to a 5-6 block area, to even larger areas that required a motor
scooter for patrol.
4. Beat Integrity—Refers to a strategy to assign officers to a beat for an extended

amount of time and to keep them in their own beat as much as possible (as opposed to
assisting in emergencies in nearby beats). Another term for beat integrity is assignment
stability. This is designed to allow officers to get to know the beat residents and
problems.
5. Beat Profiling—Refers to studying the topography, demographics, and call history of

the beat in order to develop “tailored patrol strategies.” (This concept was developed
during the San Diego research study.)
6. Rapid Response Car—Refers to a squad car made available in many communities to

respond to in-progress (emergency) calls. This car is assigned to patrol an entire sector
in a large district containing many beats and this allows the beat officers greater
chances to deal with chronic problems on the beat.
Primary COPPS Tool: The SARA Process
In 1985 a problem-solving strategy, referred to as SARA, was developed collaboratively by

Spelman and Eck along with the National Institute of Justice, the Police Executive Research
Forum, and the Newport News, VA Police Department. The Crime and Violence Prevention
Center of the California Attorney General’s Office (1999) describes the four stages as follows:
Stage 1: Scanning
Scanning means problem identification to determine if a problem really exists to
warrant further analysis. The focus is whether there are recurring incidents, so the
officer must consider not just single incidents but groups of incidents, which may
stem from the same or similar cause(s). Once identified, these cause(s) as well as
their root cause(s) become “problems” in need of solution. A problem is defined
here as two or more similar incidents that are of substantial concern to both the
community and the police. Some activities that assist in this phase include
reviewing known offender files and providing the agency with knowledge of when
and where similar crimes occurred and how they were committed.
Stage 2: Analysis
According to the California Department of Justice (1999), “Analysis is the
heart and soul of problem-solving policing.” Once the problem has been identified
and defined, officers collect in-house data and information from sources external
to the organization to determine the cause of the problem and to explore
alternatives to its solution. Some activities that help during this phase in
distinguishing crime problems from other non-related events include gathering
information from both internal and outside sources. There are several theories that
officers can rely upon during the analysis phase:

(a) rational choice of offender’s theory
(b) routine activity theory (which means crime occurs only when the victim
and motivated offender converge)
(c) crime pattern theory
(d) Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design or CPTED theory in

which there is a recognition that the design and management of cities and
neighborhoods (e.g., lighting, building design) can produce major shifts in
crime rates
Stage 3: Response
Working with residents, businesses, community groups, other agencies, and
stakeholders, officers develop an action plan of alternative responses that will best
resolve the problem through tailor-made, short, and long-term solutions to the
crime problem.
Stage 4: Assessment
This refers to an evaluation of effectiveness of the response as well as a
determination of its impact on the abatement or elimination of the problem.
Monitoring the problem by continuing to look for evidence of its elimination or
recurrence helps during this phase by helping officers evaluate effectiveness of
implemented responses. Officers can use the assessment results to revise
responses, collect more data, or redefine the problem. Before and after surveys
may focus on both quantitative and qualitative data, including public fear surveys.
COPPS Programs in the U.S.
The National Center for Community Policing at the University of Michigan conducted a survey of
143 community-policing departments in the U.S. and others in Canada. These represented the on-
going, established programs most known to the Center at the time.
Activities identified with community policing programs included: foot patrol, park and walk,
motorcycle-scooter-walk, team policing, special purpose vehicles, horse patrol, use of auxiliary
reserve-volunteer citizens, and neighboring response units. Most programs kept their deployment
patterns flexible. Actual methods were often determined by manpower availability. Some
programs used a combination of methods based on peak pedestrian times or for special events.
In cities surveyed, community policing was in operation predominantly in downtown business
districts and shopping centers, although there were also many programs operating in low-income
housing projects and areas with high-density populations. Other special uses were in tourist areas
and distinct ethnic neighborhoods. The actual percentages of program representation in order of
decreasing frequency was:
 Downtown business districts 51%

 All parts of the city 21%
 Shopping centers 12%
 Business and recreational areas 9%
 Residential areas 7%

Based upon the survey data, typically the community policing programs were located within
patrol division (91%), special operations (7%) or even in traffic division (2%). With respect to
supervisory responsibility, in over half of the cases (57%) the community policing function was
supervised by sergeants, 21% by lieutenants, and 18% by captains. There was a shared
supervisory function in just 4% of the cases.
Surveys also included questions to agencies as to how the various segments of their particular
community accepted the particular community-policing program. The set of data listed below
represents merely perceptions of those surveyed since none of the agencies surveyed actually
conducted formal surveys within their own communities at the time of the national survey.
Group Perceived % Acceptance by Agency
Business Community 82%

Politicians 59%
Residents 39%
Church Groups 9%
Other Police Units 48%
The findings showed the groups were perceived in each community that had community policing
as not only having a high acceptance of the program but that they wanted more of them on all
shifts, every day of the week in most of their city areas. In fact, it was noted there is typically a
large negative reaction whenever a community-policing officer is reassigned or removed.
* THIS IS THE END OF THE COMMUNITY-ORIENTED

POLICING AND PROBLEM SOLVING CHAPTER *

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Traffic Operations .................................................... 1

Community-Oriented Policing and Problem

Optional Practice Test Order Form ...................... 23

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Traffic Function & Responsibility

Purpose and Scope

Traffic Officer Deployment

Warnings or other non-punitive enforcement actions should be considered in each

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Citations may be issued when an officer feels it is appropriate. It is essential that

1. Explanation of the violation or charge

2. Court appearance procedure including the optional or mandatory appearance by the

2. Felony and misdemeanor driving under the influence of alcohol/drugs

3. Felony or misdemeanor hit-and-run

Suspended or Revoked Driver’s Licenses

Care and Storage of Reflectorized Vests

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Guidelines for Use of Reflectorized Vests

Traffic Collision Reporting

Purpose and Scope

Traffic Collision Reports

When an employee of a police department, either on duty or off duty, is involved in a

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Traffic Collisions with Other City Employees or Officials

Traffic Collisions on Private Property

Traffic Collisions on Roadways or Highways

Towing Vehicles Involved in Traffic Collisions

A collision report will be required if a vehicle is damaged in a collision and a tow

Vehicle Towing Policy

Purpose and Scope

Completion of necessary forms

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Removal of Vehicle Disabled in a Traffic Collision

Vehicle Inventory Searches

Vehicle Impound Hearings

Purpose and Scope

Stored or Impound Hearing

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All requests for a hearing on a stored or impounded vehicle shall be submitted in

Drunk Driving & Evidence Collection

Purpose and Scope

2. If there are verifiable medical reasons for non-compliance

3. If an attending physician refuses to allow it

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Forced Withdrawal of Blood

2. The blood is taken in a medically approved manner; and

3. Only reasonable force may be used to restrain the arrestee.

2. Forced withdrawal of blood is not permitted in misdemeanor cases.

When a suspect cannot submit to a blood test because he/she is a hemophiliac or is

Collecting Urine as Evidence

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Purpose and Scope