MA Police Sergeant flashcards

35 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Span of control

The number of subordinates reporting directly to one supervisor. First-line police spans typically run six to ten officers; wider spans reduce feedback, coaching, and task clarity.

Unity of command

The principle that each subordinate receives orders from exactly one supervisor for a given task. Violating it produces conflicting direction, duplicated effort, and unclear accountability.

Just cause discipline

Seven-part test for discipline: notice of the rule, a reasonable rule, investigation before discipline, fair investigation, proof of violation, consistent treatment, and a penalty proportionate to the offense.

Grievance deadline

A contractual time limit for filing or responding to a grievance. Missing it usually waives the right to proceed, so sergeants date-stamp and forward documents within the agreement's window.

Situational leadership

Hersey-Blanchard model matching style to follower readiness: directing for new officers, then coaching, supporting, and delegating as competence and commitment increase.

Reasonable suspicion

Specific and articulable facts that would lead a reasonable officer to believe criminal activity is afoot. It authorizes a brief investigative stop, but not an arrest or full search.

Terry frisk

A pat-down of outer clothing for weapons, permitted only with separate reasonable suspicion that the person is armed and dangerous. Scope is limited to weapons, not general evidence.

Search incident to arrest

Warrantless search of the arrestee's person and the area within immediate reach, justified by officer safety and evidence preservation. It ends once the arrestee is secured.

Automobile exception

With probable cause that a vehicle contains contraband or evidence, officers may search the entire vehicle and containers that could hold the object of the search, including the trunk.

Miranda custody test

Custody exists when a reasonable person would not feel free to leave. Miranda warnings are required only when custody and interrogation combine; roadside questioning is usually not custody.

Exigent circumstances

Emergency conditions justifying a warrantless entry or search: hot pursuit, imminent destruction of evidence, immediate risk of harm, or escape. The government bears the burden of proof.

Incident command system

A standardized command structure with command, operations, planning, logistics, and finance sections. A sergeant often serves as incident commander until a more qualified or senior IC assumes command.

Transfer of command briefing

A formal briefing covering incident status, objectives, tactics, resources, and safety. Command transfers only when the incoming IC acknowledges; until then the outgoing IC remains accountable.

High-risk vehicle stop

A felony stop using multiple units, offset positioning, and verbal commands over PA. It is initiated only after adequate cover units are in place and the broadcast is confirmed.

Inner and outer perimeter

The inner perimeter protects the scene and evidence and is access-controlled with a log; the outer perimeter manages traffic, media, and bystanders beyond the immediate scene.

Chain of custody

A documented record of every evidence transfer: item number, date, time, from whom, to whom, and purpose. A break affects the weight of evidence, not automatic admissibility.

Biological evidence packaging

Air-dry biological items, package in paper rather than sealed plastic, avoid heat and sunlight, and refrigerate. Moisture in sealed containers promotes degradation of DNA.

Digital evidence hash value

A cryptographic fingerprint computed at acquisition that proves a copy matches the original. Use a write-blocker and preserve the original unaltered for authentication.

Double-blind lineup

An identification procedure in which neither the witness nor the administering officer knows which lineup member is the suspect, reducing inadvertent suggestion and misidentification.

Procedural justice elements

Voice, neutrality, respectful treatment, and trustworthy motives. Research shows these shape acceptance of police decisions more than the favorability of the outcome itself.

Active listening technique

Paraphrase the speaker's content, reflect the emotion, and ask open-ended questions. It lowers resistance and yields more complete information than interrupting or rapid commands.

Crisis intervention approach

For a person in behavioral crisis: reduce stimuli, use a single speaker, move slowly, allow time and distance, and request a CIT-trained officer or clinician when available.

Skid speed formula

S equals the square root of 30 times drag factor times skid length in feet, giving speed in mph. Use the measured drag factor for the actual surface, not a default value.

Total stopping distance

Perception distance plus reaction distance plus braking distance. Braking distance rises with the square of speed, so doubling speed roughly quadruples the braking component.

Point of impact

The location where vehicles or objects first contact. It differs from final rest, and the distance between the two supports reconstruction of pre-impact and post-impact speeds.

Crash scene priorities

Care for the injured, secure the scene, protect evidence, identify witnesses, and document the scene before vehicles are moved when injuries or fatalities are involved.

Observation versus inference

Reports state observable facts such as bloodshot eyes and slurred speech, not conclusions like intoxicated. Conclusions belong in the charging decision, supported by stated observations.

Report elements

Who, what, when, where, why, and how, each tied to an observation, witness, or documented source, with a chronological narrative that traces every element of the charge.

Records release authority

Statutes and department policy govern retention and release. Reports, photographs, and body-worn camera footage are released only through the records custodian, never informally.

Duty to intervene

An officer who is present and able must stop another officer's excessive force and report the conduct. Failure to intervene is itself a policy violation and may create civil liability.

Garrity protection

Statements compelled from an officer under threat of termination cannot be used in a criminal prosecution of that officer, but may be used for administrative discipline.

Brady obligation

The prosecution must receive exculpatory and impeachment evidence. Suppressing such information exposes the case to dismissal and the officer to discipline and credibility loss.

Active shooter contact team

First arriving officers form teams of three to four, bypass the injured, and move toward the threat to neutralize it; rescue teams and casualty collection follow once the threat stops.

Emergency vehicle due regard

Even with lights and siren, drivers must drive with due regard for the safety of all persons. The emergency privilege does not excuse reckless disregard for others.

Officer-involved shooting protocol

Separate the involved officers, preserve weapons and uniforms, release a public-safety statement, and route the investigation to the designated outside or independent agency.