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I had an oral board this morning with a small but active suburban department in the San Francisco Bay Area.
This isn't my first oral board, so I've got the questions about "why do you want to be a cop, why this city/dept, what do you know about said city/dept, what are your qualifications?" down pat. The questions that always rattle me are the scenario questions.
First question:
Q: You're patrolling the city with your FTO and you've noticed a pattern of the FTO treating minorities unfairly. Tonight one incidentin fact may have been a crime. What do you do?
A: I'd immediately report it to my Sgt.
Q: Why immediately, and not at the end of the shift, or later in the week?
A: Because the sooner it gets reported, the sooner it gets fixed. And any hesitation in reporting it could appear to be a cover-up or lack of integrity on my behalf.
Q: You report it to the Sgt and he waives it off, saying that's just how that officer is. Then what?
A: I'd report it to the watch commander, and mention the Sgt's failure to take a report.
Q: You wouldn't talk to your FTO about it?
A: (Whoops! Knew I forgot something!) Maybe I would, but I think something this volatile needs to be brought to someone's attention immediately, as much as I'd like to resolve it at a lower level, I think this is too big to be handled between an FTO and his recruit.
Second question:
Q: You make a traffic stop on a possible drunk driver. You field test the driver and determine she is intoxicated, as you are about to make an arrest, your partner recognizes the driver as a LT. from a neighboring city PD and offers to give her a ride home. What do you do?
A: I'd notify a supervisor.
Q: Supervisor's aware of the situation, but is unavailable to respond and tells you to make a decision.
A: If it was my partner's call, I'd let him give her a ride home.
Q: It's your call.
A: I'd make the arrest.
Q: You'd arrest another officer for DUI?
A: Absolutely.
Q: Okay, then... *look of disbelief*
Third question:
Q: You're driving down Suchandsuch Boulevard, a 25 MPH zone, on a routine patrol, at 50 MPH. When you stop at a red light, a citizen demands to know why you're speeding. What do you say?
A: This is a hard question, because I wouldn't be doing this in the first place, because CA law commands me to obey all applicable traffic laws unless it's a code 3 call. But if I was speeding and a citizen noticed and complained to me, I'd apologize to the citizen and say I need to set the example.
Fourth question:
Q: You get a call of a drunk person at a neighborhood bar. When you arrive on scene the subject is physically much larger and appears to be much stronger than you and is loud, beligerent and threatening violence. What do you do?
A: I'd wait for backup to arrive before making contact with the subject.
Q: Backup is 2 hours away.
A: I'd attempt to verbally get the subject outside and in a position of tactical disadvantage.
Q: He won't come out of the bar, and it's crowded.
A: I'd attempt a less-lethal force on him, like OC or a tazer.
Q: OC and Tazer are ineffective
A: I'd draw my baton and order him down.
Q: He won't cooperate
A: I'd strike him in the legs and arms with my baton
Q: He takes the baton away from you and is advancing, swinging your baton at you.
A: I'd retreat and draw my weapon, order him down.
Q: He's still advancing.
A: I'd fire my weapon.
Q: In a crowded bar!?! *another look of disbelief*
A: I'd attempt to fire at close range to minimize my chances of missing.
Q: Where would you fire?
A: Center mass
Q: Why?
A: To interrupt the Central Nervous System
And except for my closing statement, that was it.
This isn't my first oral board, so I've got the questions about "why do you want to be a cop, why this city/dept, what do you know about said city/dept, what are your qualifications?" down pat. The questions that always rattle me are the scenario questions.
First question:
Q: You're patrolling the city with your FTO and you've noticed a pattern of the FTO treating minorities unfairly. Tonight one incidentin fact may have been a crime. What do you do?
A: I'd immediately report it to my Sgt.
Q: Why immediately, and not at the end of the shift, or later in the week?
A: Because the sooner it gets reported, the sooner it gets fixed. And any hesitation in reporting it could appear to be a cover-up or lack of integrity on my behalf.
Q: You report it to the Sgt and he waives it off, saying that's just how that officer is. Then what?
A: I'd report it to the watch commander, and mention the Sgt's failure to take a report.
Q: You wouldn't talk to your FTO about it?
A: (Whoops! Knew I forgot something!) Maybe I would, but I think something this volatile needs to be brought to someone's attention immediately, as much as I'd like to resolve it at a lower level, I think this is too big to be handled between an FTO and his recruit.
Second question:
Q: You make a traffic stop on a possible drunk driver. You field test the driver and determine she is intoxicated, as you are about to make an arrest, your partner recognizes the driver as a LT. from a neighboring city PD and offers to give her a ride home. What do you do?
A: I'd notify a supervisor.
Q: Supervisor's aware of the situation, but is unavailable to respond and tells you to make a decision.
A: If it was my partner's call, I'd let him give her a ride home.
Q: It's your call.
A: I'd make the arrest.
Q: You'd arrest another officer for DUI?
A: Absolutely.
Q: Okay, then... *look of disbelief*
Third question:
Q: You're driving down Suchandsuch Boulevard, a 25 MPH zone, on a routine patrol, at 50 MPH. When you stop at a red light, a citizen demands to know why you're speeding. What do you say?
A: This is a hard question, because I wouldn't be doing this in the first place, because CA law commands me to obey all applicable traffic laws unless it's a code 3 call. But if I was speeding and a citizen noticed and complained to me, I'd apologize to the citizen and say I need to set the example.
Fourth question:
Q: You get a call of a drunk person at a neighborhood bar. When you arrive on scene the subject is physically much larger and appears to be much stronger than you and is loud, beligerent and threatening violence. What do you do?
A: I'd wait for backup to arrive before making contact with the subject.
Q: Backup is 2 hours away.
A: I'd attempt to verbally get the subject outside and in a position of tactical disadvantage.
Q: He won't come out of the bar, and it's crowded.
A: I'd attempt a less-lethal force on him, like OC or a tazer.
Q: OC and Tazer are ineffective
A: I'd draw my baton and order him down.
Q: He won't cooperate
A: I'd strike him in the legs and arms with my baton
Q: He takes the baton away from you and is advancing, swinging your baton at you.
A: I'd retreat and draw my weapon, order him down.
Q: He's still advancing.
A: I'd fire my weapon.
Q: In a crowded bar!?! *another look of disbelief*
A: I'd attempt to fire at close range to minimize my chances of missing.
Q: Where would you fire?
A: Center mass
Q: Why?
A: To interrupt the Central Nervous System
And except for my closing statement, that was it.
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