IA POST flashcards
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32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.
- Graham v. Connor standard
- Supreme Court case holding that use of force is judged by objective reasonableness from the perspective of a reasonable officer on scene, weighing crime severity, immediate threat, and resistance or flight.
- Miranda custody test
- Custody exists when a reasonable person in the suspect's position would not feel free to leave; warnings are required before custodial interrogation begins.
- Probable cause
- Facts and circumstances that would lead a reasonable person to believe a crime has been, is being, or will be committed, or that evidence is in a particular place.
- Reasonable suspicion
- A lower standard than probable cause: specific, articulable facts plus rational inferences that criminal activity may be occurring, enough to justify a brief investigative stop.
- Search incident to arrest
- Warrantless search of the arrestee's person and immediate grabbing area, justified by officer safety and evidence preservation, limited to the area within the arrestee's reach.
- Chain of custody
- Chronological record of every person who handled evidence, with date, time, and purpose of each transfer, used to prove the item is unchanged and authentic.
- Exigent circumstances
- Emergency conditions such as hot pursuit, imminent destruction of evidence, or risk to life that permit warrantless entry or search when time does not allow obtaining a warrant.
- Plain view doctrine
- Officer lawfully present may seize evidence of a crime without a warrant when the incriminating character of the item is immediately apparent.
- Reactionary gap
- Distance of roughly six to nine feet that gives an officer time to perceive and respond to a sudden attack; it is a tactical guideline, not a fixed rule.
- Report writing elements
- Complete reports record who, what, when, where, why, and how, separate observed facts from conclusions, and document evidence and witness handling.
- Crime scene priority order
- Officers first ensure safety and medical aid, then contain and preserve the scene, apprehend suspects, and only then begin evidence collection and documentation.
- Beyond a reasonable doubt
- Highest criminal standard of proof; the fact finder must be firmly convinced of guilt, with no reasonable alternative explanation left unaddressed.
- Reserve officer authority
- Reserve peace officer powers generally exist only while on duty or activated, derived from state statute and limited by the appointing agency's written policy.
- Reserve training requirement
- Many states require reserves to complete a basic or approved abbreviated academy plus field training before working independently or without direct supervision.
- Scope of employment
- Acts within assigned duties and agency policy; conduct outside that scope can remove indemnification and qualified immunity protection for a reserve officer.
- Supervision requirement
- Reserve officers commonly work under a full-time officer or supervisor; solo patrol assignment requires documented authorization under agency policy.
- Off-duty reserve status
- Off duty, a reserve generally acts as a private citizen unless formally activated; intervening without activation can create policy and liability exposure.
- Mutual aid agreement
- Written arrangement allowing agencies to assist each other across jurisdictional lines, defining authority, cost, and command responsibility during the response.
- Fresh pursuit doctrine
- Common-law and statutory rule allowing an officer to continue pursuit of a suspect across jurisdictional lines, with authority limits set by state law.
- Indemnification
- Agency protection that covers legal defense and judgments for officers acting within policy and scope of duty; it is not unlimited and excludes intentional misconduct.
- Reserve documentation parity
- Reports, citations, and use-of-force forms written by reserves follow the same standards and supervisory review chain as those written by full-time officers.
- Volunteer versus paid status
- Pay status does not create or remove peace officer authority; appointment under statute and agency policy determines what a reserve officer may lawfully do.
- Emergency call prioritization
- Life-threatening calls are dispatched immediately, while property and non-emergency calls are queued by severity rather than the order received.
- Location-first questioning
- Telecommunicators obtain exact address or GPS coordinates, callback number, and caller identity before detailed questioning, because calls can drop.
- Pre-arrival CPR instructions
- Protocol-driven coaching given while units respond: verify unresponsiveness, start chest compressions at 100 to 120 per minute, about two inches deep.
- CJIS database rules
- Criminal justice information systems require certified operators, valid purpose, and restricted dissemination; misuse is both a criminal and administrative violation.
- Plain language radio
- Using clear spoken terms instead of agency-specific codes during multi-agency or critical incidents to prevent misunderstanding of urgent traffic.
- Ten-code ambiguity
- Numeric radio codes differ between agencies, so critical messages such as officer needs help require plain-language confirmation.
- Officer needs help broadcast
- Emergency traffic that requires the dispatcher to clear the channel, record the last known location, and dispatch backup per agency protocol.
- Caller management technique
- Maintaining a calm, direct tone, asking one question at a time, and repeating critical details back to confirm accuracy before dispatch.
- Active violence call handling
- Dispatch immediately with location, number of assailants, weapon type, and victim count while giving the caller safety instructions and keeping the line open.
- Records confidentiality
- Criminal history and call data are restricted; release follows agency records policy, state law, and lawful process such as subpoena or court order.