2024 Lieutenant's Exam Practice Test

Guidebook for Modern Policing

• Collects best practices and guidance from law enforcement practitioners in the field on eight critical areas: community policing, de-escalation, crisis intervention, role of first-line supervisors, early intervention systems, internal affairs, recruitment, hiring, and retention, and the use of data systems.

Importance of Data Systems

• Key points and challenges: law enforcement agencies face challenges in solving problems beyond traditional scope, with increased public scrutiny and pressure from local and national stakeholders to solve societal problems quickly and well.
• Provides officers and deputies with proven, up-to-date methods for addressing challenges they may face.

Best Practices in the Field

• Includes checklists to help implement practices discussed in each chapter.
• Covers connections between topics, such as early intervention and good training aiding officer retention, de-escalation techniques being vital to crisis intervention, and community policing philosophy underlying and informing all other areas.

Community Policing

• Key points and challenges: law enforcement agencies need to provide proven, up-to-date methods for addressing challenges, with increased public scrutiny and pressure from local and national stakeholders.
• Evaluations of foot-patrol experiments found that targeted foot patrols reduced violent crime only in patrol beats with atypically high rates of violent crime.
• Law enforcement agencies should carefully analyze the social and criminogenic landscape of a neighborhood, then identify strategies and tactics that address specific problems in that area.

Organizational Changes

• Most agencies engaged in community policing make relatively minor organizational changes and do not adopt full-scale restructuring and philosophical shift encouraged by the community-policing model.
• Absent sufficient organizational adaptation, it can be difficult for patrol officers and others with frontline responsibilities to devote significant time to establishing partnerships and solving problems creatively and collaboratively.

Employee Support and Wellness

• Agencies should prioritize safety and wellness proactively, creating conditions for law enforcement personnel to demonstrate greater capacity for empathy and compassion for those in their communities and agencies.
• Providing means and training for law enforcement personnel to replace negative defense or coping mechanisms with mechanisms that encourage greater understanding serves to build trust between individuals and law enforcement agencies.

Community Engagement

• Practice 6: Engage the community in a true partnership to address crime and disorder issues by developing an advisory group that includes a broad cross-section of stakeholders in the community.
• This group helps develop community policing and draft strategic plans to address crime and disorder in the community.

Measurements and Performance

• Three excellent resources provide guidance on measurements important to leadership: "Revisiting 'Measuring What Matters': Developing a Suite of Standardized Performance Measures for Policing," "Measuring Performance in a Modern Police Organization," and "Measuring What Matters: Crime, Fear, and Disorder."
• Established metrics should be incorporated into COMPSTAT meetings, if the agency uses them.

The Challenges of Modern Law Enforcement

• Law enforcement faces increasing complexity and controversy, leading to a decline in trust between agencies and civilians.
• Social media and public distrust of institutions contribute to this challenging environment.

Shared Responsibility

• Public safety is a shared responsibility between law enforcement and the community.
• To achieve trust and confidence, both parties must work together and acknowledge their roles.
• Criticism and scrutiny of law enforcement actions are necessary for accountability and improvement.

Agency Culture

• Agency culture plays a crucial role in ethical leadership and behavior.
• Culture can either support or hinder ethical conduct, and it is often more influential than strategy or policy.
• A strong, ethical agency culture can help prevent personnel from choosing the easy, unethical path.

Facilitating Change

• Effective police reform requires a combination of knowledge, organizational analysis, and building on positive cultural norms within the profession.
• Agency executives must take a proactive, internally directed approach to reform, rather than reacting to external pressures.
• Macro approaches to analysis and reform are more likely to produce effective results than ad hoc, anecdotal responses.

Obstacles to Change

• Existing agency cultures can resist change and reform efforts.
• Public skepticism and distrust can hinder efforts to improve police services.
• Piecemeal, reactive approaches to reform can cause unintended consequences.

Values, Ethics, and Police Practice

• Law enforcement is a decentralized, community-linked government institution that serves as the public's most accessible government agency.
• Police are expected to respond to a wide range of calls for service, issues, and concerns.
• Upgrading agency culture requires assessing and realigning goals, acknowledging strengths and weaknesses, and reinforcing ethical standards.

Enhancing Public Trust

• Building trust between law enforcement and the community requires a clear, straightforward, and simple set of expectations for ethical conduct.
• Leaders must prepare the organization for the future by building and developing leaders at all levels.
• The understanding and commitment of the next generation of leaders are essential to upgrading and maintaining an ethically focused culture.### Historical Context
• September 12, 1962: President Kennedy addressed the emerging American space program at Rice University

JFK's Moon Speech

• Kennedy stated that the US chose to go to the moon not because it was easy, but because it was hard
• He emphasized the importance of taking action in the space program before the close of the 1960s

Policing in the US

• The country is at a crossroads in terms of the future of policing
• Police executives and their staffs lead law enforcement agencies during a time of incivility, mistrust, controversy, and increasing violence
• Strong, ethical law enforcement is necessary for the functioning of the US and the safety of Americans

Labor-Management Relations

• 24-hour advance notice requirements may be waived under certain conditions
• City work hours cannot be used for Union-organized meetings or promotion of Union affairs
• Copies of special orders, general orders, or training bulletins must be made available to the FOP 10 working days prior to being issued/implemented
• Solicitation of any kind by the FOP is not allowed during working hours

Bulletin Board

• The Union will be provided with partial use of suitable bulletin boards at each building where Bargaining Unit members are employed
• The Union can provide its own bulletin board for exclusive use, subject to Police Chief approval
• The Union can only use the bulletin boards for specific purposes, including:
  • Notice of Union Meetings
  • Union Elections
  • Reports of Union Committees
  • Rulings or Policies of the Union
  • Recreational and Social Affairs of the Union
  • Notices by Public Bodies
• Copies of all materials, notices, or announcements must be submitted to the Chief of Police or designee before posting

Contracting Out

• When the City determines it is in its best interest to enter into a contract with an outside service agency, it will notify the FOP
• The City will meet and discuss with the FOP the effect of the contract on Bargaining Unit members
• If the Union is not satisfied, it may request a public hearing within 10 calendar days
• The City will hold the public hearing within 14 calendar days from the date of request
• If an employee is laid off as a result of the contract, they will be entitled to first consideration by the contractor for any available work

Rates of Pay

• Employees completing 12 months of continuous service will be assigned to Step A of Pay Range P001
• Employees in a pay step other than Step A of Pay Range P3 will receive a pay increase based on an overall performance rating of satisfactory or above
• Effective January 1, 2024, Bargaining Unit Members with an EMT certification will receive a pay supplement of 2.5% of their base pay
• EMT pay will be capped at 40 members of the Patrol Division
• Topped out employees will receive a one-time annual lump sum payment of 1.5% or 3% of base annual rate, depending on their performance evaluation rating
• Post-Retirement Pay Steps (PPS) are incorporated into this Agreement, but are not retirement benefits under the Retirement Plan of the Police and Fire Retirement System

Assignment Pay

• Police Sergeants selected as Field Training Sergeants will receive an additional $100 biweekly
• Bargaining Unit Members assigned to the Patrol Division with less than 10 years of service will receive assignment pay of $150 per month
• Bargaining Unit Members assigned to the Patrol Division with 10 or more years of service will receive assignment pay of $200 per month
• Bargaining Unit Members not assigned to the Patrol Division will receive assignment pay of $200 per month
• Bargaining Unit Members assigned to certain Specialty Units will receive an additional $50 per month
• Bargaining Unit Members assigned to certain On-Call Units will receive a pay supplement of 2.5% of their base pay

Sick and Vacation Leave

• The Director of Human Resources can approve the reinstatement of accrued sick and/or vacation leave utilized by an injured employee
• The City Manager's approval is required for reinstatement of leave utilized beyond the first 30 working days
• If the injury is caused by the City's negligence, the City will reinstate the sick and/or vacation leave utilized by the injured employee

Importance of Data Systems in Law Enforcement

• Data systems are crucial in modern policing as they help law enforcement agencies address various challenges.
• Effective data systems can aid in solving problems beyond the traditional scope of law enforcement.

Key Points and Challenges

• Law enforcement agencies face challenges in providing proven and up-to-date methods for addressing modern policing challenges.
• Public scrutiny has increased, and there is pressure to solve societal problems quickly and effectively.
• Key points to consider include community policing, de-escalation, crisis intervention, and the role of first-line supervisors.

Best Practices for Implementing Data Systems

• Implementing data systems requires a thorough understanding of the academic literature and existing resources.
• Best practices include establishing a strategy and employing tactics that meet the needs of the agency and community.
• Each chapter in the guidebook provides a high-level overview of the importance of each issue, key points, and challenges.

Community Policing

• Community policing involves establishing partnerships and solving problems collaboratively.
• Research has shown that most agencies engaged in community policing make relatively minor organizational changes.
• Evaluations of problem-solving activities tend to show that responses rely primarily on traditional law enforcement tactics.

Importance of Agency Culture

• Agency culture is crucial in facilitating ethical leadership and promoting a culture of accountability.
• A strong, ethical agency culture can resist pressure towards unethical or illegal conduct.
• Developing and sustaining a relationship of trust is a principal component of community safety and public order.

Shared Responsibility

• Public safety is a shared obligation between law enforcement and the community.
• Effective public safety services require considerable effort from both parties.
• Trust levels between law enforcement and the community have been declining, with some racial and ethnic groups reporting lower levels of trust.

Approaches to Reform

• Reconfiguring internal agency cultures through police executives who recognize the need for change is essential.
• Developing positive, ethical norms and making them customary practices can lead to credible and effective services.
• Upgrading police practices has been seen as the right thing to do, but it has also had unintended consequences and sparked intense debates.### Police Reform and Ethical Leadership
• The importance of ethical leadership in police reform, with a focus on building trust and improving relationships between law enforcement and the community.
• The need for police agencies to examine their own culture and practices, and to make changes to align with their stated values and principles.
• The role of leadership in setting a moral tone and promoting ethical behavior within police organizations.

Building an Ethical Culture

• The importance of establishing clear expectations and guidelines for ethical behavior within police agencies.
• The need for police leaders to model ethical behavior and to hold themselves and others accountable for adhering to high standards.
• The importance of creating a culture of transparency, accountability, and openness within police organizations.

Police Reform and Community Involvement

• The need for police reform to involve the community and to address the needs and concerns of citizens.
• The importance of building trust and improving relationships between law enforcement and the community.
• The role of community involvement in promoting police reform and improving public safety.

Obstacles to Police Reform

• The challenges of implementing police reform, including the power of existing cultures to resist change, public skepticism and distrust, and the limitations of piecemeal approaches.
• The need for police leaders to approach reform efforts with a commitment to transparency, accountability, and community involvement.

Effective Police Reform

• The importance of taking a comprehensive and proactive approach to police reform, rather than simply reacting to crises or scandals.
• The need for police leaders to work with the community to identify and address underlying issues and to develop solutions that are tailored to the specific needs of the community.
• The role of effective police reform in promoting fairness, accountability, and public safety.

Collective Bargaining Agreement

• The terms of the collective bargaining agreement between the City of Fort Lauderdale and the FOP, Lodge 31, including provisions related to labor-management relations, bulletin boards, and union activities.
• The agreement's provisions related to pay and benefits, including assignment pay, specialty unit assignments, and post-retirement pay steps.
• The role of the collective bargaining agreement in shaping the relationship between the city and the police union.### Reinstatement of Accrued Leave
• The Director of Human Resources can approve the reinstatement of accrued sick and/or vacation leave utilized by an injured employee within the first 30 working days following the 90-day injury period.
• The City Manager's approval is also required if the employee seeks reinstatement of accrued leave utilized beyond the initial 30 working days.
• If the City is negligent, it will reinstate the sick and/or vacation leave utilized by the injured employee.

Conditions for Reinstatement

• No reinstatement will be approved if the injury occurred due to the employee's negligence or willful misconduct.

Light Duty Assignments

• If an employee is unable to perform their regular duties due to a non-service incurred disability, they may be assigned to a vacant position in the Police Department that they can perform.
• The City is not required to place the employee on a light duty assignment.

Vacation Time

• Returning employees from on-the-job injuries can still use their pre-scheduled and approved vacation time if they have accrued vacation time available.

Employee Responsibility

• Employees must comply with all City rules and procedures regarding reporting on-duty injuries and cooperate fully with medical and rehabilitation personnel.

Organizational Response to Employees' Needs during the Pandemic

• Organizations responded to employees' needs by offering flexibility and mental health benefits during the early years of the pandemic.

Changes in Leadership Management

• There has been a shift in how leaders manage their employees, with three distinct approaches emerging.
• One approach involves increasing benefits and remote work options, prioritizing employee flexibility and work-life balance.
• Another approach focuses on bringing people back to the office, emphasizing results-oriented performance and a more traditional work environment.
• A third approach is not mentioned, but options C) reducing workloads and deadlines and D) promoting more social activities are not among the recent changes.

Changes in Leadership Management

• There has been a shift in how leaders manage their employees, with three distinct approaches emerging.
• One approach involves increasing benefits and remote work options, prioritizing employee flexibility and work-life balance.
• Another approach focuses on bringing people back to the office, emphasizing results-oriented performance and a more traditional work environment.
• A third approach is not mentioned, but options C) reducing workloads and deadlines and D) promoting more social activities are not among the recent changes.

Changes in Leadership Management

• There has been a shift in how leaders manage their employees, with three distinct approaches emerging.
• One approach involves increasing benefits and remote work options, prioritizing employee flexibility and work-life balance.
• Another approach focuses on bringing people back to the office, emphasizing results-oriented performance and a more traditional work environment.
• A third approach is not mentioned, but options C) reducing workloads and deadlines and D) promoting more social activities are not among the recent changes.

Understanding Accountability

• The NeuroLeadership Institute emphasizes the importance of cognitive processes in the brain to understand accountability, suggesting that neural mechanisms play a crucial role in this concept.