Memory and Observation for Police Officer Exam Study Guide (page 3)

Memory and observation questions may be based on photos or drawings (similar to maps) or on reading passages followed by questions to determine whether you remember or understood what you read. Since a number of other portions of this book provide sample reading passages, this section will focus on memory and observation questions based on photos or drawings. As you prepare for these questions, keep in mind that people remember much more than they think they do. We are all quick to say we do not remember something when we are really just having trouble bringing it to our immediate recall. Your mind is like a computer: Although information may be stored there, your recall system may not be operating at top efficiency. Rather than panic that you do not remember anything, relax and draw on the mental connections you made using the tips provided for each type of question. By studying these chapters and taking the practice exams, you are also at an advantage because you know to expect these types of questions.

Memorizing Wanted Poster Information

Quite often, the drawings you will be asked about in memory questions center on wanted posters. Although other questions that involve photos or drawings may sometimes permit you to look back at the artwork to answer the questions, memory questions involving the wanted posters almost never permit you to look back at either the drawings or the information accompanying them.

Generally you will be given four or five drawings of the wanted individuals along with pedigree information (age, sex, race), descriptions (height, weight, hair and eye color, and distinguishing scars or marks), and why and by whom they are wanted. Some agencies send you this material to study in advance of the actual exam but advise you not to bring the material to the exam site. If this is not done, the material will be presented to you either as a handout or on video for a period of time (generally 15 minutes) and then removed when you answer the questions.

There are a number of memory aids you can use for wanted poster questions.

• Remember details about the individuals. What are their names; do their names have ethnic associations that match their photos to help keep them separate in your mind. Do they have aliases that could form the basis of questions? Are the aliases logical and reflected in other information? For example: Does someone with an alias of Hawkeye have a tattoo of a hawk? Is this person's family name Hawk or Hawke? Names, aliases, and tattoos are often closely related, as are aliases related to one's work or whether one is described as belonging to a gang, or other group.
• Group the individuals logically. How many are men; how many are women; how many are juveniles? Are they all wanted for crimes or are some missing persons? How many have scars or tattoos or are described as possibly armed? While this may seem to contradict remembering details about the individuals, it complements it because you will be able to quickly answer questions that draw on comparisons among the individuals. For example: How many of the individuals have tattoos; how many are believed to be armed?
• Look at the names and types of agencies seeking the individuals. You might be asked how many are wanted by a local police department, or by a federal agency.
• Create associations. It might be helpful to associate some of the individuals with names or facts that are familiar to you, but this strategy works best when you are given the material prior to the test. If you view the photos for the first time at the test site with only 15 minutes, you might spend too much time making associations and not have time to look closely at the details of each poster.

To get you in the mindset to answer wanted poster questions, study the two wanted posters and accompanying information and answer the five questions that follow. Remember that in the actual test you will be given four or five posters, which means that there is more to remember and the questions will cover more information. For now, though, two will give you a sense of how to prepare for these types of questions.

WANTED

Thomas Torellini

ALIASES: Tommy the Turtle

WANTED BY: New York State Police

CHARGES: Robbery, Motor Vehicle Theft

DESCRIPTION:

Age: 55
Race: Caucasian
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 195 lbs.
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Brown

IDENTIFYING SCARS OR MARKS: Missing right eye is generally covered by a patch; tattoo of turtle on left bicep; sometimes shaves head.

REMARKS: Hitchhikes on interstate highways; robs those in vehicle at knifepoint and on two occasions fled in the vehicles, leaving the driver on the side of the road.

CAUTION: Known to carry a knife; has a record of violent crime and is a parole violator.

WANTED

Marvin Romano Mackey

ALIASES: Mack the Knife

WANTED BY: Minneapolis, MN, Police Department

CHARGES: Burglary

DESCRIPTION:

Age: 29
Race: Caucasian
Height: 5'7"
Weight: 165
Hair: Black
Eyes: Brown

IDENTIFYING SCARS OR MARKS: Scar on left cheek from a knife-fight, tattoo of Italian flag on right calf.

REMARKS: Positively identified from surveillance cameras as having committed three burglaries in the Mall of America, suspected of at least two additional burglaries; has relatives in St. Paul and is believed to ride a Honda 750 cc motorcycle.

1. Who is/are described as armed?
   1. Thomas Torellini
   2. Marvin Romano Mackey
   3. Thomas Torellini and Marvin Romano Mackey
   4. none of the above
2. Who is/are described as having a tattoo?
   1. Thomas Torellini
   2. Marvin Romano Mackey
   3. Thomas Torellini and Marvin Romano Mackey
   4. neither of the above
3. Who is/are wanted by a state police department?
   1. Marvin Romano Mackey
   2. Thomas Torellini
   3. Marvin Romano Mackey and Thomas Torellini
   4. neither of the above
4. Which wanted individual is the older of the two?
   1. Marvin Romano Mackey
   2. Thomas Torellini
   3. They are the same age.
   4. The information is not provided.
5. Of the identifying scars or marks provided for Thomas Torellini, which is likely to be the most useful in identifying him without conducting a search?
   1. a missing right eye
   2. a shaved head
   3. a tattoo on his left bicep
   4. a scar on his left cheek

Answers

1. a. A caution is provided only for Thomas Torellini; despite the fact that Mackey's alias is Mack the Knife, there is no indication he is armed.
2. c. See the identifying scars or marks section for both men.
3. b. Review the wanted by notations for each man.
4. a. Review the ages listed: Torellini is 55, Mackey is 29.
5. a. Choice b can be changed easily by growing hair, wearing a hat or a wig; choice c requires Torellini to be wearing a short-sleeved or sleeveless shirt when stopped; choice d is part of the description of Mackey.

These questions relied on fairly simple recall because there were only two individuals. Imagine similar questions with four names or combinations for each question, and you will have a better idea of why it is important to review the memory tips and develop a system for processing the data.

Street or Crime Scene Memorization and/or Observation

Another type of question based on a photo or drawing might be of a crime scene or street scene, or a photo of items taken from an arrested person. In some instances, the photo or drawing will be quite realistic; in others it will be a rough sketch. Do not focus on the quality of the image; rather, use the allotted time to remember as much as you can about the scene or the items. These questions may be presented as memory questions or as observation questions. If they are memorization questions, you will not be permitted to look back at the material, which will be presented to you in an identical fashion to the wanted posters. If they are observation questions, you will be permitted to keep the artwork in front of you. Even if you are permitted to keep the material available while answering the questions, you may find that time does not allow you to look back frequently, so if you do not remember large portions of what you saw, you might be unable to answer the questions fully.

The photo below is less complex than some you might be asked to review but it will provide you with a good idea of how observation questions are set up.

Use the photo to answers questions 6-8.

6. From the photo, it is most logical to presume that the Broadway Station intersects with
   1. Highway D 18.
   2. Downing Thruway.
   3. Highway I-25.
   4. Union Station.
7. The number of destinations other than Broadway Station that are shown in the photo is
   1. one.
   2. two.
   3. three.
   4. none.
8. Information that could be useful to passengers is located in the photo
   1. towards the top.
   2. towards the bottom.
   3. on the viewer's left.
   4. There is no information useful to passengers.