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True / False
1. The police have a subculture that is not substantially different from that found in other occupations in society.
a.
True
b.
False
2. The police subculture is characterized by clannishness, secrecy, and isolation from those not in the group.
a.
True
b.
False
3. Police officers and their families tend to avoid socializing with other police officers and their families, choosing to
socialize instead with people in other lines of work.
a.
True
b.
False
4. The strong bonding that occurs among police officers places the highest value on the obligation to back up and support
a fellow officer.
a.
True
b.
False
5. The idea of danger permeates the police subculture.
a.
True
b.
False
6. The concept of the blue curtain was developed by Jerome Skolnick.
a.
True
b.
False
7. The majority of studies have determined that the police personality derives from the socialization process in the police
academy, field training, and patrol experience, instead of being inherent in the personality of those who enter into the
police profession.
a.
True
b.
False
8. The American Institute of Stress ranked police work as the top stress-producing job in the United States.
a.
True
b.
False
9. The stress affecting police officers rarely affects their families.
a.
True
b.
False
10. Studies have indicated that police officers face serious marital problems, health problems, and problems with alcohol
and drugs.
a.
True
b.
False
11. Most police departments have management programs to deal with the stress problems of police officers.
a.
True
b.
False
12. One factor that identifies a police shooting as “suicide by cop” is that the suicidal subject must confront law
enforcement to the degree that the officer or officers are compelled to react with deadly force to defend themselves or
others from serious bodily injury or death.
a.
True
b.
False
13. Suicide is a serious problem in policing.
a.
True
b.
False
14. The rate of police suicides has dropped in recent decades.
a.
True
b.
False
15. A recent study by John Violanti reveals that police commit suicide at a rate up to 53 percent higher than other city
workers.
a.
True
b.
False
16. Officers who express a loss/increase in appetite usually have an eating disorder?
a.
True
b.
False
17. Heart attacks, ulcers, weight gain, and other health problems are not signs of stress in police officers.
a.
True
b.
False
18. In a suicide by cop situation, the only victim is the suspect that has been shot by the officer.
a.
True
b.
False
19. The longer officers are in their profession, the more hostile they become.
a.
True
b.
False
20. Which is not indicative of the police culture?
a.
openness
b.
clannishness
c.
honor
d.
individuality
21. The refusal of some police officers to report fellow officers’ misconduct is called:
a.
the uniform code of silence
b.
the blue wall of silence
c.
the police omerta
d.
blue loyalty
22. Which is not a trait of the police personality?
a.
authoritarianism
b.
suspicion
c.
cynicism
d.
liberalism
23. Which is not indicative of the police personality?
a.
hostility
b.
insecurity
c.
cynicism
d.
idealism
24. Who coined the term the “working personality” of the police?
a.
Jerome Skolnick
b.
James Fyfe
c.
James Q. Wilson
d.
Egon Bittner
25. Which of the following is not one of the three important features of an officer’s environment that can account for an
officer’s working personality, according to researchers Burbeck and Furnham?
a.
rotating shifts of duty
b.
danger
c.
authority
d.
isolation from the public
26. Which researcher conducted the classic study of the police subculture in Gary, Indiana?
a.
Jerome Skolnick
b.
Anthony Bouza
c.
William Westley
d.
James Q. Wilson
27. The majority of recent studies have found that the law enforcement “working personality” stems from the officer’s:
a.
teenage years
b.
socialization process in the police academy, field training, and patrol experience
c.
early socialization experiences as a child
d.
inherent personality from birth
28. The best-known study of the police personality, Behind the Shield, was written by:
a.
Richard Harris
b.
Howard Abadinsky
c.
Larry Siegel
d.
Arthur Niederhoffer
29. The Dirty Harry problem refers to:
a.
the corruption problem in law enforcement
b.
the brutality problem in law enforcement
c.
the moral dilemma officers face when they can use evil means to achieve good ends
d.
the stress problem in policing
30. The human body’s reaction to highly stressful situations is known as the:
a.
flight-or-fight response
b.
stressed-out syndrome
c.
adrenaline response
d.
fight-or-freeze syndrome
31. The American Institute of Stress ranked law enforcement work as being:
a.
the number one stressful job in America
b.
among the top ten stressful jobs in America
c.
relatively low in stress compared to other jobs
d.
one of the few truly stress-free jobs
32. Dr. Neal Trautman proposes a solution to the problem of the Code of Silence with his:
a.
Additional Training Regimen
b.
Basic Misconduct Survey Study
c.
Code of Silence Argument
d.
Code of Silence Antidote
33. Stress produced by real threats and dangers, such as responding to gun runs and other dangerous assignments, is
classified as:
a.
external stress
b.
organizational stress
c.
personal stress
d.
operational stress
34. The stress produced by elements inherent in the quasi-military character of the police service, such as adjusting to
changing tours of duty, odd working hours, and working holidays, is classified as:
a.
external stress
b.
organizational stress
c.
personal stress
d.
operational stress
35. The stress produced by the interpersonal characteristics of belonging to the police organization, such as difficulties in
getting along with other officers, is classified as:
a.
external stress
b.
organizational stress
c.
personal stress
d.
operational stress
36. The stress produced by the daily need to confront the tragedies of urban life, such as the need to deal with derelicts,
criminals, and the mentally disturbed, and the need to engage in dangerous activity to protect a public that appears to be
unappreciative of the police, is classified as:
a.
external stress
b.
organizational stress
c.
personal stress
d.
operational stress
37. Which of the following is not one of the factors leading to stress in police work?
a.
poor training
b.
role conflict
c.
exposure to brutality
d.
early retirement
38. Researchers say that the pressure of being on duty 24 hours a day leads to stress and that the police learn to cope with
that stress by:
a.
brutalizing and denigrating citizens
b.
shirking their responsibilities
c.
becoming emotionally detached from their work and the people they are paid to serve
d.
engaging in illegal conduct
39. Which of the following does John Violanti offer as a factor that might explain the high rates of suicide among police
officers as a result of stress?
a.
access to firearms
b.
constantly being exposed to human misery
c.
shift work, social strain, and marital difficulties
d.
all of these choices
40. Dorothy Bracey found that due to a poor diet and lack of exercise, a significant sample of American police possessed a
body composition, blood chemistry, and general level of physical fitness greatly inferior to that of a similarly sized sample
of:
a.
college students
b.
prison convicts
c.
military personnel
d.
high school seniors
41. Which of the following is not a job-related issue that contributes to family dysfunction in police families, according to
Ellen Scrivner?
a.
family disruption due to rotating shifts
b.
unpredictable work environment
c.
the constant exposure of police officers to members of the opposite gender
d.
community expectations and demands
42. Which of the following ranked highest in programs most requested by police officers according to an FBI training
needs survey of almost 2,500 police departments?
a.
more firearms training
b.
programs to handle personal stress and physical fitness programs
c.
physical fitness programs and more firearms training
d.
programs on how to deal in a less stressful manner with supervisors
43. A 1981 report by the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights emphasized the need to provide ____________________
programs and services for police.
a.
physical fitness
b.
medical
c.
stress management
d.
in-service training
44. A situation in which police officers only trust other police officers and do not aid in the investigation of wrongdoing
by other officers is called the:
a.
red curtain
b.
blue curtain
c.
blue shield
d.
red shield
45. A basic personality test administered by many police departments is the:
a.
PRCI
b.
Niederhoffer’s Personality Scale
c.
BPI
d.
MMPI
46. The attitude that there is no hope for the world and a view of humanity at its worst called:
a.
police social control
b.
police prejudice
c.
police attitude
d.
police cynicism
47. According to research, compared to other professions, the police exhibit higher rates of:
a.
divorce
b.
suicide
c.
stress
d.
all of these choices
48. According to research, what subgroup was more likely to use constructive coping relating to stress?
a.
African-American males and African-American females
b.
white females and African-American females
c.
white males and African-American males
d.
white males and white females
49. A study on police depression revealed that ____________________ officers had higher levels of depression.
a.
female
b.
white
c.
Asian
d.
male
50. In one study of a sheriff’s department, suicide by cop incidents accounted for ____________________ percent of
deputy-involved police shootings.
a.
less than 1
b.
11
c.
39
d.
59
51. According to research, what is the leading problem among police officers?
a.
marital problems
b.
problems with children
c.
drug problems
d.
financial problems
52. Researchers estimate that ____________________ percent of all police officers have alcohol problems.
a.
less than 5
b.
10 to 15
c.
20 to 30
d.
over 50
53. Some studies have indicated that police officers are ____________________ percent more likely to suffer from
alcoholism than the average citizen.
a.
25
b.
55
c.
75
d.
300
54. In 1996, the New York City Police Department (NYPD) and the NYPD Patrolman’s Benevolent Association (PBA),
responding to the fact that 26 NYPD officers had committed suicide in the previous two years, created the
____________________ to address the problems of police stress and suicide.
a.
Law Enforcement Rehabilitation Center
b.
Law Enforcement Counseling program
c.
Police Organization Providing Peer Assistance (POPPA) program
d.
NYPD Cops for Cops program
55. All of the following are examples of traits of the Police Personality except:
a.
Authoritarianism
b.
Suspicion
c.
Compassion
d.
Cynicism
56. A group of people with distinct sets of values, attitudes, behaviors, and beliefs that differentiate them from the larger
culture of which they are a part is called a(n) __________.
57. Michael K. Brown says that the police subculture is based on three major principles: honor, loyalty, and __________.
58. The__________ is the protective barrier established by the police by which they protect one another from outsiders,
often even refusing to aid police superiors or other law enforcement officials in investigating wrongdoing of other
officers.
59. According to Jerome Skolnick, the police officer’s role contains two principal variables: danger and __________.
60. William Westley defined the situation in which police officers only trust other police officers and do not aid in the
investigation of wrongdoing by other officers as the __________.
61. The solution to the code of silence as proposed by Dr. Neal Trautman is __________.
62. The ethical problem in which police are confronted with situations in which they feel forced to take certain illegal
actions to achieve a greater good is known as the __________ problem.
63. __________ is the body’s reaction to internal or external stimuli that upset the body’s normal state.
64. The body’s reaction to highly stressful situations is known as the __________ response.
65. The phenomenon in which a person wishing to die deliberately places an officer in a life-threatening situation, causing
the officer to use deadly force against that person, is known as __________.
66. A study of the psychological effects of _________________ on involved officers revealed that the short-term effects
of these incidents seem to entail the same psychological limp acts experienced by officers involved in most critical
incidents.
67. What is the police culture or subculture and how does it manifest itself?
68. Describe the police personality. Does police work attract people who already have this personality or is it the result of
becoming an officer?
69. What is the Dirty Harry problem? Could you ever justify an officer acting the way Dirty Harry Callahan did? Why or
why not?
70. What is stress? Name some factors causing stress in policing.
71. What are some of the methods being used by police departments today to deal with stress?
72. Some officer involved shootings are classified as "suicide by cop." What does this phrase mean? How can officers
prevent this phenomenon of suicide by cop or is there anything officers can do? If so what?
73. Discuss why police officers commit suicide at very high rates. Explain what can be done to lower this suicide rate.
74. How can officers deal with the “blue wall” or “code of silence”? Why do you believe this "wall" still exists? How can
we as citizens and officers break down the wall of silence?
75. Discuss the killings of police officers. Why do you believe that officer killings occur? What can officers do to help
prevent officer killings?
76. What is it about society that causes officers to want to socialize together to the exclusion of all others? Is this a
healthy practice? Why or why not?
77. Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSD) is becoming more recognized by individuals and departments. List and
explain some of the signs and symptoms of PTSD and what departments can do to help address this problem.
78. Personnel who observe warning signs (of suicide) in fellow officers should be encouraged to contact a supervisor.
Should this be encouraged and does this violate the Blue Wall of Silence? Should the Blue Wall be violated in this
situation? Why or who not?
79. Movies and television shows like Dirty Harry and The Shield portray police violence. Do you think that these dramas
actually contribute to the Dirty Harry syndrome?
