Police Lieutenant - 1990
Suggested Topic Guide
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A. Experience, Training and Education
1. Tell us about your background and how it has -prepared you
for the position of Police Lieutenant.
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2. Tell us about an incident that best describes your
supervisory skills and leadership ability.
3. Explain your approach to a new assignment such as a
transfer to a different division or a new project given
to you in your current division.
4. Specifically, what steps have you taken to prepare
yourself for the position of Police Lieutenant?
5. What distinguishes you as the best candidate for the
position of Police Lieutenant from the other candidates?
6. What significant contribution have you made to the Los
Angeles Police Department? How will this contribution
relate to your ability to be a good Police Lieutenant?
B. Supervisory Skills
1. Explain how you would handle a discipline problem.
2.
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6.
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An employee reports to you and informs you that she
intends to file a grievance. What steps would you
take in order_ to . resolve the problem?
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What role__does a Police Lieutenant have in relation to
Affirmative Action? What are your responsibilities as a
supervisor in this area?
What can you do to affect the Police Department's
Affirmative Action Plan?
What do you see as the main difference between the role
of a Police Sergeant and the role of a Police Lieutenant?
A Sergeant under your supervision advises you that he/she
wishes to file a discrimination complaint. How would you
respond to the complaint when the issue is first raised?
How would you handle the situation if the employee wished
to file a formal discrimination complaint?
As a new Police Lieutenant, you are assigned to supervise
a unit known for its ineffective performance due to
severe morale problems created by past mismanagement.
How would you motivate your unit to effectively perform
their duties and improve productivity?
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a. Assume that you are explaining a procedure to a newly
promoted Sergeant under your command. Explain to us
exactly how you would inform the Sergeant of the
requirements, methods, and procedures necessary _ ~a::ei·e~
to complete a performance evaluation.
9. What kinds of qualities would you look for in selecting a
Sergeant to work on a special assignment involving
narcotics?
c. Analytical Ability and Decision Making Skills
1. You have been assigned as the PM Watch Commander in
Hollywood for six months. During that period of time,
you have never observed or heard of the Patrol Captain
conducting an off-hour inspection. Towards the end of your
watch, you observe the Patrol Captain at the station dressed
in casual attire. The Captain states that he is there to
conduct a stand-up inspection at the morning watch roll
call. After completing your watch, you leave the station
and proceed down Hollywood Boulevard, where you observe the
same Captain in his City vehicle talking td a female at the
corner of Hollywood and Vine. As you · get closer, you
observe that the female is, in fact, a known prostitute has
has been arrested numerous times in Hollywood. While
stopped at the spotlight at the opposite side of the street,
you observe the prostitute get into the Captain's car and
the Captain slowly drives away. What would you do?
2. You are a Lieutenant working at 77th Area Division. A
morning watch Officer--the best officer on her watch by
nearly every supervisor's judgment-comes to you prior to
roll call and says, "I took some prescribed medication
earlier this_,evening and on the way to work I began to feel
3.
. a little dizzy. I didn't realize that it would have this
effect on me, but now that I am here, I am not sure I should
go into the field tonight."
You are aware that this Officer has never missed a single
day of work in 12 years and has no complaint history. She
is generally considered to be the peer gr·oup leader on the
watch. What would you do?
As a Police Lieutenant, it will be important for you to have
a vision of not only the present, but also of the future.
Where do you see in the Los Angeles Police Department in the
next five years or so?
4. Your Captain asks you to formulate . a program to resolve a
particular problem involving
(Select one of the following problems:
involved preventable traffic accidents;
initiated, discourtesy complaints; a
problem such as residential burglaries,
etc.)
too many Officer
too many outside
particular crime
street robberies,
Discuss with us the steps you would take in formulating a
program to resolve this problem.
5. You are the Watch Commander and you become involved in a
situation wherein possible employee misconduct comes to your
attention. The situation is
(You may insert any type of employee misconduct here. Some
possible situations are: an Officer arrives to work with
the odor of an alcoholic beverage on the breath and you
detect it; you observe a police car driving at an excessive
speed, going through red traffic lights, enroute to a high
priority radio call; new Officer on probation approaches you
and complains that his training Officer is demanding sexual
favors · in order for him to successfully complete probation;
etc.)
Tell us how you would handle this situation.
6. Upon reviewing your Supervisor's log, you notice several
entries where homeless persons are periodically removed from
the rear of a business in the area. Upon inquiry, you learn
that the establishment is owned by the brother of one of
your Supervisors. The owner charges half price for dry
cleaning police uniforms. As the Watch Commander; what is
your responsibility in this area?
7. You are the Day Watch Commander assigned to a geographical
Area in Operations-West Bureau. On a day when your
administrative workload is relatively light, you decide to
monitor actlyities by going into the field. As you drive
_down a major thoroughfare, you see a two-Officer unit which
has detained three apparent juvenile suspects who are
sitting on the curb. The Police Officer III is issuing a
citation while the Probationary Officer watches the
juveniles. A Sergeant is also at the scene monitoring the
situation.
The following day, you review the Sergeant's log, but find
no entry relative to the traffic stop. What would you do?
What type of tasks do you see yourself perf arming during
your first 60 days as a new Watch Commander. What do you
hope to accomplish from these activities?
How should you, as a new Watch Commander cope with an
experienced Field Supervisor who has been performing poorly
but who has received good ratings in spite of that
performance? ([1'l (r)r.\nr? n~rpn n'-? n r;\ t I I I : ! i, · ,, , j ,-::; I!:; , .:: ; /,,1 1 l I I I / /\ \ ~ J) l l., ·: ' i I ' : I : : i u .: I L_. : : \' J I I j 1 1 ~ \
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D. Package/Application Review
Ask questions of candidate in this area if you believe it is
necessary to obtain further information on positive/negative
information in personnel package.
Questions will depend on information contained in package.
E. Interpersonal/Public Relations Skills
2.
3.
4.
You become aware that numerous male Sergeants are making
comments of a joking, but nevertheless sexist nature to
an attractive female Sergeant. She does not appear to be
bothered by the comments. How would you respond to this
situation?
You are assigned to a unit as the Watch Commander, and
under your direct supervision is a Sergeant that you once
reported to. He is not pleased to have to work for you
directly, and you have had repeated negative dealings
with him in the past. What would you do?
Under your supervision is an employee who produces top
quality work in an efficient manner. The problem is his
aggressive interpersonal style. He has received numerous
complaints from his coworkers regarding his attitude
towards them. How would you handle this situation?
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An employee under your supervision who formerly was a
top performer is experiencing a severe personal problem
of a highly sensitive nature. It has only slightly
affected her work. You are ver,:y concerned; yet, the
issue is one that is so highly sensitive that you need to
be careful of your approach to her so as not to invade
her priva~y. What course of action would you take?
5. What would you do as a new Watch Commander to learn about
the community relations picture in your new assignment?
What would you do to promote a positive public image for
the Police Department? ~ , r
6. ·. As acting "Captain" in charge, you receive a complaint
, ' from a prominent irate citizen. The citizen (an
·.._/ attorney) demands your immediate attention and threatens
to take legal action against the Department if his
concerns are not immediately addressed. You are aware of
his ties with elected officials on the issue, but are
unsure of what, if any action you may take to represent
the Department without first consulting management. What
would you do in this situation?
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7. From time to time, L.A.P.D. sworn personnel become
< . ..J involved in physical confrontations with groups
protesting on sensitive issues. As a Lieutenant, what
are your responsibilities in order to prevent or control
these situations?
8. A local business group has written a strong letter to the
City Council regarding an increase in gang activity and
the inability of your geographical area to reduce the
activity. Your supervisor has asked you to respond to an
inquiry regarding the problem. How would you handle this
situation?
Last Question
Ask each and every candidate
We've asked you a lot of questions. Is there anything we have
not covered that you want to add for our consideration in the
evaluation of your qualifications for the Police Lieutenant
position?
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