How would you respond?

[kcop1]

I just had an oral interview and they posed a couple of interesting scenario questions. How would you handle these?

1) You stop an elderly man for running a stop sign. When you attempt to make contact his doors have the locks on with him all he does is stare straight forward. What would you do?

Follow up question: (regardless of your answer) what if he still stares straight forward and ignores your commands?

2) You are an off duty cop out exercising at a local park. When running a lap you see some kids playing in the park and a man standing off to the side staring at the kids. On your second lap, you see that same man holding the hand of one of the girls and she is yelling "I don't want to!" What would you do?

[Matt218]

NOT A POLICE OFFICER

But, its pretty darn close to what you asked.

I had an oral board for the Fire Department I tested for.

They stated: "You are on scene of a structure fire. Your captain announces the fire is under control, and you no longer need to wear an SCBA, as the crew is going to overhaul. What do you do/say/respond?"

Most guys said "The fire is out, so I'll refuse to wear an SCBA".

Its what they just casually say that you need to pick up on. I almost bombed it, but then said "He stated the fire was under control, not extinguished, and I would proceed to wear my SCBA". I passed the oral board, but yours sounds a bit more difficult. I would like to hear some of the answers on here.

Most of the time they seem to be making sure you pay attention to the whole statement, not just the main components.

[exComptonCop]

1) You stop an elderly man for running a stop sign. When you attempt to make contact his doors have the locks on with him all he does is stare straight forward. What would you do?

There are two directions to go with this one. 1) your driver is playing opossum, for what ever reason, 2) he's mentally disabled, or in need of medical assistance. At any rate, you cannot simply go away...entry into the vehicle will have to be made. Since the key word appears to be "elderly", I'd go with the medical emergency. Have your dispatcher detail EMS, and and let your supervisor know what you intend on doing. Depending on departmental SOP, someone will need to make a forced entry into the vehicle.

Also, if the the vehicle is still running, or even still in drive, it might not be a bad idea to place a marked unit up against the front and rear bumpers of the vehicle, in case the driver's foot comes off the brakes.

2) You are an off duty cop out exercising at a local park. When running a lap you see some kids playing in the park and a man standing off to the side staring at the kids. On your second lap, you see that same man holding the hand of one of the girls and she is yelling "I don't want to!" What would you do?

This one has the potential of turning to carp real fast, but it's one that can't be ignored.

Before committing, and time allowing, I would call the local PD/SO, tell them who you are, where you are, what you might have.(you can always cancel them later) That taken care of, in the most non-threatening demeanor you can muster, ID yourself as an off duty cop, and explain to the man that you're concerned about the child's welfare. If the guy tells you to pound sand(and there's no doubt in my mind that's the direction the interviewer went) ask the girls if they know the man who's trying to take them.

Not knowing any further details, I'll stop here. IMO, this one is going to be one of those "no win" dammed if you do, dammed if you don't situations, to see if you stick to your guns.

[jamie50]

Both are excellent questions and both very probable.....
With 10 years if law enforcement I guess that for the eldery driver I would first go in front of his car and wave at thim to see if he responds that way. Maybe write a note telling him to roll down the window.(Deaf?) If he is still unresponsive, I would call for an ambulance and eventually force my way into his car to check on him. (I also have MFR training) It sounds like a diabetic issue or some other sort of seizure. I would feel very comfortable justifying my actions.

As for the second question, I would call dispatch and start a marked unit from my cell phone and watch them like a hawk. (You do carry one while jogging, right??) If the marked unit does not get there by the time they leave, I'd follow and stay in phone contact. I'd be a little hesitant to jump right in and play hero on this one. Get descriptions, license plates, etc. Also as the mother of a 5 year old, when I tell her it's time to leave the playground, 95% of the time her answer is also "I don't want to."

[aftermath]

I'd have to agree with compton on the elder issue. If the elder person didn't respond to me, I'd tap the glass to try and get thir attention. If that didn't work, I'd wave my hand in front of the wind shield to see if I can get a response. Ultimately then I would alert Dispatch, EMS and notify the shift supervisor of the situation and make an entry into the vehicle.

The little girl is a touchy issue. There could be more information to that scenario, but going with what is given - I would stop my run, notify dispatch or local PD, then approach the subject cautiously, inform him I am a police officer (from 5-10 feet away for safety purposes), and I need to see some identification. Asking for identification would mean the subject would need to let the girl go. Also, if I confront the situation, I can put the girl at ease somewhat if this is in fact a stranger. Also, if the subject does decide to run, I wouldn't be at a disadvantaged starting distance.

Good luck.

[kcop1]

Thanks for the replies

I will know how I did in the oral in a couple of weeks, but your answers have reassured me that I went in the right directions in the way I answered.

Thanks again for your input.