PA POST cheat sheet

Pennsylvania crimes are graded as summary offenses, misdemeanors (1st, 2nd, 3rd degree), or felonies (1st, 2nd, 3rd degree); grading controls the statutory maximum sentence, not the charging decision alone.

For a felony or misdemeanor arrest without a warrant, the officer needs probable cause that the person committed the offense; probable cause is facts and circumstances that would lead a reasonable officer to believe an offense occurred and the person committed it.

Search incident to lawful arrest: limited to the arrestee's person and the area within the arrestee's immediate reach, justified by officer safety and evidence preservation.

A Terry stop requires reasonable suspicion - specific and articulable facts suggesting criminal activity - and the detention must be reasonably related in scope and duration to the suspicion.

Miranda warnings are required before custodial interrogation; custody means a reasonable person would not feel free to leave, and interrogation means words or actions reasonably likely to elicit an incriminating response.

The exclusionary rule suppresses evidence obtained in violation of the Fourth Amendment, subject to exceptions including inevitable discovery, independent source, and attenuation.

Pennsylvania's wiretap and electronic surveillance statute generally requires consent of at least one party to record a conversation; recording without any party's consent is unlawful.

An arrestee must be brought before a magistrate without unnecessary delay, and a criminal complaint must be filed promptly; delay can suppress statements obtained during the unlawful period.

Pennsylvania's Vehicle Code is Title 75; summary traffic offenses are generally enforced by citation, while certain violations (for example, DUI and accidents involving death or injury) are criminal offenses.

DUI grading under 75 Pa.C.S. § 3802 depends on the highest blood alcohol or breath test result and on prior offenses: general impairment (0.08–0.099), high rate (0.10–0.159), and highest rate (0.16 and above).

Implied consent: a driver suspected of DUI is deemed to consent to chemical testing; refusal results in civil suspension of driving privileges and refusal may be used as evidence at trial.

A traffic stop is a seizure requiring reasonable suspicion of a violation; the stop may last only as long as needed to address the violation, absent independent reasonable suspicion or probable cause.

Pennsylvania's Move Over law requires drivers to move to a non-adjacent lane or slow down when approaching an emergency response area with lights flashing.

Required accident reporting: a driver must stop and give information after a crash involving injury, death, or property damage; leaving the scene of an injury crash is a criminal offense.

Equipment and inspection violations are generally summary offenses; commercial vehicle enforcement follows federal motor carrier safety regulations adopted in Title 75.

A citation must be filed with the issuing authority; the driver may plead guilty, not guilty, or request a hearing within the statutory period stated on the citation.

Chain of custody documents every transfer of evidence: who collected it, when, where, and to whom it was released; a break in the chain affects weight, not automatic admissibility.

Biological evidence should be air-dried before packaging; wet packaging promotes degradation and mold that can destroy DNA.

Physical evidence is packaged separately per item to prevent cross-contamination; each package is sealed with initials, date, and case number across the seal.

Photograph the scene before moving anything: overall, mid-range, and close-up with a scale; document the location of each item relative to fixed reference points.

Latent prints are developed with powder on non-porous surfaces and chemical methods (ninhydrin, cyanoacrylate) on porous surfaces; porous items are collected intact when possible.

Digital evidence requires write-blocking or forensic imaging to preserve the original; document hash values to demonstrate integrity.

Interviews should be recorded when practicable; a witness statement should capture the witness's own words, sensory observations, and the time and conditions of observation.

Evidence that is lost or destroyed by the government may violate due process if it possessed apparent exculpatory value and the defendant cannot obtain comparable evidence.

High-risk vehicle stops: use a controlled position with cover, give clear verbal commands over the PA, and separate occupants one at a time; approach only after compliance.

Building searches proceed from a position of cover, with containment established first; clearing alone is discouraged when backup is available.

The reactionary gap of approximately 6–8 feet provides time to react to an assault; distance plus cover is preferred to distance alone.

Domestic disturbance calls carry elevated risk: separate the parties, control weapons access, and identify the primary aggressor using injury, fear, and history factors.

Traffic stop positioning: offset the patrol vehicle to the left, angle slightly, and approach on the passenger side when conditions make the driver side unsafe.

Ten-codes and plain-language radio traffic should include location, nature of incident, and request for backup; status checks are made at intervals during high-risk activity.

A missing person report is taken immediately; there is no waiting period, and initial entries into state and national databases should not be delayed.

Perimeter containment requires assigning officers to specific posts with a written log of who entered and exited the scene.

Graham v. Connor sets the objective reasonableness standard: force is judged from the perspective of a reasonable officer on scene, considering severity of the crime, immediate threat, and active resistance or flight.

Deadly force is justified only when the officer reasonably believes it is necessary to prevent imminent death or serious bodily injury to the officer or another person.

Force must be de-escalated when the threat diminishes; continued force after the threat ends can be excessive.

A use-of-force report should document the threat perceived, the options considered, the force used, and the medical response provided.

Handcuffing technique: control the hand and wrist, apply the cuff to the back of the wrist, double-lock, and check for tightness and circulation.

A conducted energy weapon is not a substitute for deadly force and should not be used on a person in an elevated position or in water where a fall could cause serious injury.

Defensive tactics emphasize control of distance, balance, and the officer's weapon side; disengagement and repositioning are valid responses to an escalating threat.

Duty to intervene: an officer who observes excessive force by another officer must intervene when in a position to do so and report the conduct.

Fourth Amendment reasonableness governs searches and seizures; warrantless searches are presumed unreasonable unless an exception applies.

Exceptions to the warrant requirement include consent, search incident to arrest, exigent circumstances, plain view, automobile, and inventory searches.

Fifth Amendment protects against compelled self-incrimination; Miranda warnings and a valid waiver are required before custodial interrogation.

Sixth Amendment right to counsel attaches at the initiation of adversarial judicial proceedings and applies to all critical stages.

Fourteenth Amendment due process applies the Bill of Rights to the states and protects against conduct that shocks the conscience.

Consent must be voluntary and given by a person with authority to consent; scope of consent limits the search to what a reasonable person would understand was authorized.

A pretextual traffic stop is valid if the officer has probable cause or reasonable suspicion of a traffic violation, regardless of subjective motive.

Qualified immunity shields officers from civil liability unless the conduct violated clearly established law of which a reasonable officer would have known.

Crisis intervention models emphasize active listening, empathy, and slowing the encounter; the goal is de-escalation and connection to services rather than immediate arrest.

Signs of behavioral crisis include disorganized speech, hallucinations, extreme agitation, and inability to respond to simple commands; a mental health co-responder may be requested.

Procedural justice has four elements: voice, neutrality, respect, and trustworthy motives; these predict public cooperation more than outcomes alone.

For a person in crisis, reduce stimuli: turn off sirens, limit the number of officers in view, and use one officer as primary communicator.

Pennsylvania's involuntary commitment process under the Mental Health Procedures Act allows emergency examination when a person poses a clear and present danger to self or others.

Community policing emphasizes partnership, problem solving, and organizational transformation rather than enforcement volume alone.

Language access and cultural awareness affect the accuracy of witness statements; use a qualified interpreter rather than a family member when possible.

Document referrals to social services in the report so follow-up and continuity of care can be tracked.

A narrative report answers who, what, when, where, why, and how, and records the officer's observations separately from statements of others.

Use direct quotes for admissions and statements; paraphrase only when necessary and identify the source.

Chronological order is standard, but the first paragraph should summarize the incident and the charges filed.

Include the elements of the offense in the narrative so the report supports each element of the charge.

Affidavits of probable cause must state facts, not conclusions; a magistrate reviews the four corners of the affidavit.

Reports are discoverable; write as though the report will be read aloud in court, avoiding slang, opinions, and speculation.

Corrections should be made with a single line through the error, initials, and date; never obliterate or white out text.

Case preparation includes evidence inventory, witness contact information, and a timeline of events with times tied to dispatch records.

Emergency vehicle privileges (exceeding speed limits, proceeding against signals) apply only when the vehicle is operating with lights and siren and the driver does not endanger life or property.

Due regard for safety is a continuing duty; the privilege does not relieve the driver of liability for reckless disregard of others.

Following distance: the two-second rule in normal conditions; increase to four or more seconds at night or in rain, and further in snow or ice.

Braking on a curve or in a turn should be completed before the turn; accelerate gently after the apex to maintain traction.

Pursuit policy typically restricts pursuits to violent felonies and requires supervisor authorization, continuous radio updates, and termination when risk outweighs the need.

Intersection approach: slow, cover the brake, scan left-right-left, and make eye contact with other drivers before proceeding against a signal.

Seat belts and securing equipment before driving are mandatory; unrestrained objects become projectiles in a crash.

Vehicle inspection before shift includes tires, lights, siren, brakes, and fluid levels; defects are reported before operation.

Adult CPR: compressions at 100–120 per minute, depth of at least 2 inches, full recoil, and a compression-to-ventilation ratio of 30:2.

AED use: turn on the device, apply pads to bare chest, clear everyone before analysis and shock, and resume compressions immediately after the shock.

Severe bleeding is controlled with direct pressure, then a tourniquet applied 2–3 inches above the wound if pressure fails; note the time of application.

Recovery position for an unresponsive person who is breathing: on the side to maintain an open airway and prevent aspiration.

Signs of shock include pale or clammy skin, rapid weak pulse, and altered mental status; keep the person warm and lying flat.

For a suspected opioid overdose with inadequate breathing, administer naloxone and provide rescue breathing; naloxone may need repeat dosing.

Chest pain: keep the person calm and still, allow prescribed nitroglycerin if directed, and do not delay transport for a suspected cardiac event.

Scene safety precedes patient care; do not enter a hazard to reach a patient without appropriate protection.

The Law Enforcement Code of Ethics emphasizes service, integrity, and respect for constitutional rights; violations are subject to departmental discipline and criminal law.

Brady v. Maryland requires disclosure of exculpatory evidence to the defense; withholding such evidence violates due process.

Garrity protection: statements compelled under threat of termination cannot be used in a criminal case against the officer, but may be used for administrative discipline.

Accepting gratuities or gifts creates a conflict of interest and undermines impartiality; most agencies prohibit gifts of value.

Use of force reporting must be truthful and complete; false statements in reports are grounds for termination and criminal charges.

Confidential informants and undercover identities are protected but may be disclosed when required by court order or when necessary for a fair trial.

Off-duty conduct is subject to discipline when it brings discredit to the department or affects the officer's ability to perform duties.

Social media use should not disclose case information, identities, or opinions that compromise impartiality or the department's reputation.

Aerobic capacity is measured by VO2 max; steady-state cardio 3–5 times per week at 60–80% of maximum heart rate improves it.

Maximum heart rate estimate: 220 minus age; target zones are typically 50–70% (moderate) and 70–85% (vigorous) of that value.

Strength training 2–3 times per week with progressive overload supports job tasks such as lifting, dragging, and controlling resistance.

Hydration: drink water before, during, and after exertion; dark urine and rapid weight loss after activity indicate dehydration.

Sleep debt impairs reaction time and decision-making; 7–9 hours per night is recommended for adults.

Critical incident stress reactions include intrusive thoughts, sleep disruption, and irritability; peer support and EAP referral are appropriate responses.

Static stretching before activity is less effective than dynamic warm-up for injury prevention; static stretching is better after activity.

Heat illness prevention: acclimatize over 7–14 days, monitor urine color and body weight, and recognize heat exhaustion (heavy sweating, weakness) versus heat stroke (altered mental status, hot skin).