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OPOTA Exam Guide Questions with Solutions
1. Explain the relationship between a SPO and a test question: A test question must respond directly to an
SPO and every SPO may be the basis of a test question
2. Explain the ultimate reason for law enforcement training: To be able to protect the life and property of yourself
and the public
3. List a peace officer's main goals: - Enforce the laws
- Preserve the peace,
- Prevent crime
- Protect civil rights and liberties
- Provide services
4. Explain items to consider when exercising discretion: - Use sound judgment to determine which laws are to be
formally enforced
- Determine if there is a more constructive remedy without arrest or citation
5. Explain the factors necessary for the commission of crime: Desire - the motivation behind criminal behavior
Victim - potential target, unaware of surroundings Opportunity - crime prevention strategies
6. State the core concepts of community policing: -partnership between community and police
-crime prevention -organizational change of agency -problem solving approach to police role is proactive
7. Considerations for off duty situations: Behavior - social media, uphold ethics Situational Awareness-
be alert, pre plan, ott duty weapon policy, be a good witness
8. State the purpose of Bill of Rights: protect a individual's freedoms
-prevent government from interfering in protected rights
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9. Describe the major components of the criminal justice system: Law Enforcement Courts - hold fair &
impartial trials, guilt or innocence, Impose sentences Corrections - supervise ottender
10. Goals of Sentencing: -protect society
-punish ottender/rehabilitate -restore the victim
11. Recognize the tenets of the Below 100: -wear your seatbelt
-wear your vest
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24. Types of Racism: individual, interpersonal, institutional, structural
25. Individual Racism: internalized, unexpressed biases and prejudices based on race
26. Interpersonal Racism: occurs between individuals, public expressions of racial prejudice and hate
27. institutional racism: discriminatory policies and treatment by institutions
28. Structural Racism: Collective way of history, culture, power inequality, unequal access to opportunities
29. Components of bias: stereotypes, prejudice, attitude
30. Stereotypes: generalizations about the perceived typical characteristics of a social category
31. Prejudice: a often negative prejudgment based on characteristics such as race, age
32. Attitude: positive or negative feelings associated with individuals or groups
33. Bias-based profiling: -Racial/illegal profiling
-unequal treatment by oflcers by stopping, questioning, searching, detaining on basis of their ethnicity
34. Criminal profiling: Based on observed behaviors and characteristics
35. Two types of Bias: explicit and implicit
36. Explicit Bias: conscious preference for a social category
37. Implicit bias: preference for a social category based on stereotypes that we hold and tend to develop in early life
38. Two modes of thinking: automatic (system 1)
deliberative (system 2)
39. System 1 thinking: automatic, ettortless, unconscious, very fast
40. System 2 thinking: Conscious, controlled, ettortful, slower
41. practical purpose: simplifies tasks which most adults do without having to systematically think about each step
42. protection mechanism: we evaluate everything we see to determine if threatening or not
43. strategies to counter implicit biases: -Guarding against influence in decision making
- awareness -know when you're susceptible ( in complete info, cognitive load, fatigue)
5 / 63 -slow down thinking
- empathetic -ettort (intention, attention, time)
44. Two-pronged Approach to Procedural Justice: person based approach community
based model
45. person based approach: emphasizes the importance of face to face interactions between officers and a citizen
46. Community based model: ultimate goal is to achieve police legitimacy through entire society
47. community bank account concept as it relates to procedural justice: every encounter is either a
deposit or withdrawal (increase or decrease public perception of police)
48. four core principles of procedural justice: giving others a voice, neutrality in decision making, respectful treatment,
trustworthiness
49. explain the generally accepted ethical responsibilities of officers: -owed to your community, citizens,
profession, agency, family, yourself -treat everyone professionally -never allow cynicism, excessive force, perjury and accept gratuities
50. External Influences on behavior: relationships with family and friends, citizens, media, regulations, politics, subculture
51. Internal influences on behavior: officer’s own ethical and moral beliefs, anger, greed, lust
52. Denial of victim: argue that violated party deserves to be victimized
53. Denial of responsibility: acted improperly because no other options
54. Denial of injury: argue that action did not hurt anyone so no ethical misconduct
55. Social Weighting: makes comparisons to justify unethical misconduct
56. moral justification: argues that it's necessary to break rules for the greater good
57. Continuum of Compromise: -being exposed on a regular basis to "special authority" and at the same time being exposed
on a daily basis to that element of society that operates without values, combines to severely challenge an oflcer's core values system
- can lead to a sense of entitlement where officers believe they are owed professional courtesy and that the rules don't apply to them
58. acts of omission: officers rationalize and justify not doing things they are responsible
7 / 63 -Write or print neatly so you can read and understand your notes later -Record all information in ink -Let victims and witnesses talk through the event before you start recording notes -Ask clarifying follow-up questions -Be as complete as possible -Consider the use of electronic data device or template -Do not record personal information in your notebook
67. essential questions answered in a report: Who, what, where, when, how, why
68. Requirements of a well written report: complete, factual, objective, accurate
69. explain crime: An act that the law makes punishable
70. Culpable mental states: knowingly, purposely, recklessly, negligently
71. Purposely: Specific intention to cause a certain result; or when the offense is a prohibition against certain conduct of a certain nature,
regardless of what the offender intends to accomplish, it is the offender's specific intention to engage in the conduct
72. Knowingly: aware that conduct is practically certain to cause a result, regardless of purpose
73. recklessly: With heedless indifference to the consequences, disregards a substantial and unjustifiable risk that conduct is likely to cause
a certain result or is likely to be of a certain nature
74. Negligently: Because of substantial lapse from due care, fails to perceive or avoid a risk that his/her conduct may cause a certain
result or may be of a certain nature
75. Jurisdiction: a government's general power to exercise authority over all persons and things within its territory
76. Statutory law: The body of law derived from statutes rather than from constitutions or judicial decisions.
77. Case Law: The law found in the collection of reported cases that form all or part of the body of law within a given jurisdiction
78. Force: Any violence, compulsion, or constraint physically exerted by any means on or against a person or thing
79. Deadly Force: force which carries a substantial risk that it will result in then death of a person
80. Physical Harm to Persons: Any injury, illness or other physiological impairment, regardless of its gravity or duration
81. Serious Physical Harm to Persons: -Any mental illness or condition of such gravity as would normally require
hospitalization or prolonged psychiatric treatment -Any physical harm that carries a substantial risk of death
8 / 63 -Any physical harm that involves some permanent incapacity, whether partial or total, or that involves some temporary, substantial incapacity -Any physical harm that involves some permanent disfigurement or that involves some temporary, serious disfigure- ment -Any physical harm that involves acute (i.e., severe) pain of such duration as to result in substantial suffering or that involves any degree of prolonged or intractable pain
82. Physical Harm to Property: - Any tangible or intangible damage to property that results in loss of value
or interferes with enjoyment.
83. Serious Physical Harm to Property: - Substantial loss to the value of the property or requires substantial time,
effort, or money to repair of replace.
- Temporarily prevents the use or enjoyment of the property or interferes with the use or enjoyment for extended periods of time.
84. 2923.01 Conspiracy: (A) No person, with purpose to commit or to promote or facilitate the commission
of aggravated murder, murder, kidnapping, abduction, compelling prostitution, promoting prostitution, trafficking in persons, aggravated arson, arson, aggravated robbery, robbery, aggravated burglary, burglary, trespassing in a habitation when a person is present or likely to be present, engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, corrupting another with drugs, a felony drug trafficking, manufacturing, processing, or possession offense, theft of drugs, or illegal processing of drugs
- With another person or persons, plan or aid in planning the commission of any of the offenses
10 / 63 stop: -have reasonable articulable suspicion to initiate a stop and that criminal activity was afoot -consider totality of circumstances -weight to their experience
92. describe the considerations an officer should be mindful of when conducting a Terry stop: -use
least intrusive means of detention -conduct stop quickly as possible to not prolong the period of involuntary detention -if additional facts are uncovered that supply officers with probable cause to arrest, individual may be arrested -must be released if no grounds for arrest
93. requirements which must be established before a Terry pat down/frisk: Officers are required to
articulate a reasonable belief that the suspect is armed AND the suspect poses a threat to them
94. Plain Feel Doctrine: - weapons
-during frisk, if officers grab something and immediately recognize it, they can seize it -not seize it if determining its identity requires further manipulation (pockets, squeezing) -once determined not a weapon, search must stop unless there's a warrant
95. identify the evidentiary standard on which to base an arrest: a arrest must be based on probable
cause
96. describe when the elements of probable cause to arrest are satisfied: the officers is aware of articulable
facts and circumstances sufficient to warrant a reasonable person to believe that a crime has been committed and the person about to be arrested committed the unlawful act
97. identify sources of information that can be used to establish probable cause
to make a warrantless arrest: personal observations, informant's tip, reports from officers or agencies, physical evidence, past criminal record, statements made by suspect, leads furnished by victim or witness
98. in the absence of consent or exigent circumstances before entering, a officer must do before
entering a private residence to make a arrest: -secure appropriate warrant -reasonably believe that the person to be arrested is present at the correct address -knock and announce their presence
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99. to justify a warrantless, nonconsensual entry into a private residence in order to make a arrest..:
exigent circumstances must exist which demand a immediate response
100. Hot/Fresh Pursuit: The pursuit, without unreasonable interruption, of a person who is trying to avoid arrest
101. the basis to legally seize evidence: -based on probable cause
-probable cause to seize exists if a prudent person would conclude that the object in question is associated with criminal activity
102. types of searches: full, limited weapons, inventory
103. Full Search: conducted to gather criminal evidence
-probable cause -require a search warrant
104. Limited Weapons Search (frisk/protective): - search conducted to disarm a suspect to protect officers
-authority based on reasonable suspicion that person lawfully detained is armed and dangerous
105. inventory search: -not under 4th amendment
- catalog property that police have taken into custody
- adhere to department policy, secure property, protect agency from lost, stolen or damaged claims
106. Describe the nature of the facts required to support probable cause to conduct a search: facts
sufficient to justify a person of reasonable caution to believe that a crime has been or is being committed and that specific objects associated with the crime exist and they will be found in the place to be searched
107. describe the criteria needed to establish the plain view exception to the search warrant
requirement: -officers must be legally on the premises from where the observation is made
- incriminating nature of the item must be immediately apparent
- officers must have a lawful right of access to object
108. Curtilage: the area immediately surrounding the home (garage, yard)
-same 4th amendment protection as home
109. Open Field: Any other land from home
-no 4th amendment protection
13 / 63 -whether suspect is a immediate threat to the safety of oflcers or others -actively resisting -suspect was attempting to evade arrest by flight
118. Active Resistance: when a person exhibits resistive movement to avoid physical control or presents a credible threat to a
oflcer (not showing hands)
119. passive resistance: when a person exhibits no resistive movement in response to verbal commands and other direction, poses no
safety threat (failing to exit vehicle)
120. describe when handcuffing may be considered unreasonable force: -unduly tight or forceful
handcuflng in course of seizure
- severe obvious medical injury and handcutt in manner that is likely to cause serious harm -plaintitt complained and oflcer ignored complaints -some physical injury resulting the handcuflng
121. describe when use of a chemical weapon may be considered unreasonable force: -using chemical
weapons on arrestee who already been subdued and poses no threat
122. describe the difference between reasonable and unreasonable force when using electrical
weapons: -unreasonable on a passively resisting suspect -reasonable when suspect was using force or actively resisting
123. explain civil liability considerations associated with using force against those with
diminished capacity/mental illness: -federal courts have ruled that the diminished capacity of unarmed suspect must be taken into court into account when assessing the reasonableness of the amount of force exerted
- use ditterent tactics -actual mental state is irrelevant to any determination of reasonableness in use of deadly force
124. list circumstances when a officer may use deadly force to achieve a seizure-
: -to protect themselves or others from immediate threats of serious physical injury -to prevent escape of a fleeing dangerous person
125. explain the variables an officer should use to assess the presence of an imminent
threat: -likelihood of weapon
14 / 63 -capability of weapon -proximity of the parties at risk -exposure of officers or others -subject's actions
126. Explain officer liability when responding to emergency calls: -An officers who is responding to an
emergency call is governed by the sovereign immunity standard
127. emergency call: -a call to duty, including, but not limited to, communications from citizens, police dis- patchers, and personal
observations by peace officers of inherently dangerous situations that demand an immediate response on the part of a peace officers
128. explain the necessary steps in preparing for court: -ensure all evidence required for the
case is accounted for, safely secured, and can be obtained prior to court -Call and meet with the prosecutor to determine if additional assistance or information is needed -Review notes and/or reports pertinent to the case
129. List the general rules for effective courtroom testimony: -Be early
-Be professional -Wear your uniform or business attire -Speak loudly, clearly, and with confidence -Give concise, clear, and complete answers -Avoid talking with potential or actual jurors
130. Tactic- asking if the officer has spoken with other parties involved with the case
-used to make officers think they have done something wrong: counter tactic- answer truthfully
131. Tactic: rapid fire questioning: Counter Tactic- slow the pace by pausing before answering
-remain calm -prohibit the attorney from building momentum
- ask question to be repeated
132. Tactic: repeated questioning
-used in attempt to obtain conflicting responses: counter tactic- tell the truth
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142. list guidelines an officer should follow when interacting with the media: -be familiar with agency
policies -consistent information -never speak ott record -secure scene -key messages -eye contact, mannerisms, normal tone -do not say no comment -direct, concise and brief
143. Identify all elements of the offense of Domestic Violence per R.C. 2919.25: -
-Knowingly cause or attempt to cause physical harm to a family or household member -Recklessly cause serious physical harm to a family or household member -By threat of force, knowingly cause a family or household member to believe that the ottender will cause imminent physical harm to the family or household member
144. Identify the categories of persons who fall within the meaning of family or
household member: -spouse, living as spouse, former -parent, foster parent, child of ottender or spouse, by blood or marriage, natural parent
145. consanguinity: blood relationship
146. affinity: marriage
147. recognize the four elements that should be used to determine the primary physical
aggressor in a domestic violence incident: -any history of DV or violent acts -whether violence was caused by person acting in self defense -each person's fear of physical harm -comparative severity of any injuries
148. Temporary Protection Order: -order from court that is available after household or family member is charged with
violent or sexually oriented ottense -removes suspect from residence
17 / 63 -Can be received by the victim, peace oflcer, court, family member -ettective for length of case
149. Criminal Protection Order (CRPO): -issued by the court after a non-family/non-household mem- ber is charged with a
violent, menacing, or sexually oriented criminal ottense -CRPO is like a TPO for non-family or non-household members
150. Civil Protection Order (CPO): -order obtained through the domestic relations or common pleas court even though
criminal charges are not going to be filed -ettective up to 5 years (child support and custody)
151. two levels to CPO: ex parte and final
152. Stalking Protection Orders - Stalking or Sexually Oriented Offense Protec- tion Order
(SSOOPO): -protects victim of stalking and sexually oriented ottenses from a non family or household member -common pleas court
153. describe three characteristics of a crisis state: • The person's behavior is at an intense emotional and
irrational level and brought on in response to a critical incident
- The critical incident occurred within 24 to 48 hours of the change in behavior
- The person perceives the situation as overwhelming and a threat to his/her psychological and/or physical well-being
154. identify the causes of damage or stress to a person's brain that result in a person's
mental capacity being compromised: -brain chemistry -developmental disabilities -deterioration of brain -damage through blunt force or severe stress -substance abuse
155. describe the factors that coupled with mental illness produce the greatest increase in the
potential for violence: -male -40 years old or younger with untreated psychosis paranoid, delusions, narcissism
156. describe the difference between traditional encounters and special popula-
19 / 63 -eye contact -touching without letting them know
- crowding -expressing anger or impatience -lying or misleading info sarcasm or inflammatory language
164. The loss model to recognize a person the nature of a person in crisis: loss of reality
loss of hope loss of control loss of perspective
165. Loss of reality: -person may be frightened, confused and having difficulty concentrating
-delusions or hallucinations
166. Loss of Hope: -person may be emotional, withdrawn, crying,talking suicidal
-hopeless, helpless and may have experienced a recent loss
167. loss of control: person may be angry, hostile
-manipulative, destructive or argumentative
168. Loss of perspective: person is anxious, worried, or nervous
-trembling, mood swings
169. describe the lethality assessment to determine a person's suicidal intent (LAST): Lethality
of chosen method Availability of chosen method Specificity of the plan Timing (proximity of help)
170. typical dispositions for resolving a crisis intervention incident: - Arrest
- De-escalate and refer
- Voluntary transport
- Involuntary transport
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171. Arrest appropriate: (crisis intervention): -there is a arrestable ottense and you must make arrest
-no resources available for treatment
172. De escalate and refer appropriate:
(crisis intervention): -no Laws have been broken -no emergency medical needs -person in control of their emotions and poses no harm -referral to services
173. Voluntary transport to hospital appropriate: (crisis intervention): -no law have been broke and
follows with your discretion -community resources -have person's consent and they would benefit from treatment
174. involuntary transport to hospital appropriate: (crisis intervention: mentally ill
-represents a substantial risk of physical harm to self and others -benefit from treatment, unlikely to survive safely in community -5122 pink slip
175. identify the practical considerations when taking a person into emergency custody: every reasonable
and appropriate ettort must be made to take persons into custody in the least conspic- uous manner -provide the person with your name, agency, that they're not under arrest, taken for examination, written statement. emergency admission pink slip
176. why Vicitims often fear their sexual assault report will not be believed: they
knew suspect, related, intimated by their position or power, engaged in drug/alcohol abuse, illegal activity at the time of ottense, arrest record, prior victim
177. Discuss preliminary victim interview considerations and techniques: - location
that frees from distraction and victim feels safe -otter victim resources -open ended questions
178. Physical abuse of a child: an act of commission toward a child by the parent or caregiver that results in harm to the child
179. neglect: -an act of omission that can be a single event or pattern of safe or inadequate care
-the failure to provide for a child's basic needs
