Rapid Police Response Reading Answers: Detailed Explanation Here

The Reading section is one of the highest-scoring components of the IELTS test format. It includes a total of three reading passages on various topics. IELTS reading passages are generally repetitive in nature and have been asked multiple times in previous IELTS Reading tests.

One such topic is “Rapid Police Response IELTS Reading Answers.” Rapid Police Response is among the most frequently featured passages in the IELTS exam. The passage explains the effectiveness, perception, and practical challenges associated with rapid response by police departments during emergencies.

The question section includes a total of seven True / False / Not Given questions. All questions are based on the information provided in the passage. IELTS aspirants can answer these questions by referring directly or indirectly to the content of the passage.

This article included the "Rapid Police Response" passage along with sample questions following the IELTS exam pattern. We have also provided standard answers based on the given passage. 

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IELTS Reading Answers: "Rapid Police Response" Passage 

The passage below, "Rapid Police Response," is a very common Reading passage in the IELTS exam. Read the passage to answer Questions 1—7 given below.

Rapid Police Response IELTS Reading Answers

1. Police departments in the United States and Canada see it as central to their role that they respond to calls for help as quickly as possible. This ability to react fast has been greatly improved with the aid of technology. The telephone and police radio, already long in use, assist greatly in the reduction of police response time. In more recent times there has been the introduction of the '911' emergency system, which allows the public easier and faster contact with police, and the use of police computer systems, which assist police in planning patrols and assigning emergency requests to the police officers nearest to the scene of the emergency.

2. An important part of police strategy, rapid police response is seen by police officers and the public alike as offering tremendous benefits. The more obvious ones are the ability of police to apply first-aid life-saving techniques quickly and the greater likelihood of arresting people who may have participated in a crime. It aids in identifying those who witnessed an emergency or crime, as well as in collecting evidence. The overall reputation of a police department, too, is enhanced if a rapid response is consistent, and this in itself promotes the prevention of crime. Needless to say, rapid response offers the public some degree of satisfaction in its police force.

3. While these may be the desired consequences of rapid police response, actual research has not shown it to be quite so beneficial. For example, it has been demonstrated that rapid response leads to a greater likelihood of arrest only if responses are in the order of 1-2 minutes after a call is received by the police. When response times increase to 3-4 minutes — still quite a rapid response — the likelihood of an arrest is substantially reduced. Similarly, in identifying witnesses to emergencies or crimes, police are far more likely to be successful if they arrive at the scene no more than four minutes, on average, after receiving a call for help. Yet both police officers and the public define 'rapid response' as responding up to 10-12 minutes after calling the police for help.

4. Should police assume all the responsibility for ensuring a rapid response? Studies have shown that people tend to delay after an incident occurs before contacting the police. A crime victim may be injured and thus unable to call for help, for example, or no telephone may be available at the scene of the incident. Often, however, there is no such physical barrier to calling the police. Indeed, it is very common for crime victims to call their parents, their minister, or even their insurance company first. When the police are finally called in such cases, the effectiveness of even the most rapid of responses is greatly diminished.

5. The effectiveness of rapid response also needs to be seen in the light of the nature of the crime. For example, when someone rings the police after discovering their television set has been stolen from their home, there is little point, in terms of identifying those responsible for the crime, in ensuring a very rapid response. It is common in such burglary or theft cases that the victim discovers the crime hours, days, even weeks after it has occurred. When the victim is directly involved in the crime, however, as in the case of a robbery, rapid response, provided the victim was quickly able to contact the police, is more likely to be advantageous. Based on statistics comparing crimes that are discovered and those in which the victim is directly involved, Spelman and Brown (1981) suggest that three in four calls to police need not be met with rapid

response.

6. It becomes clear that the importance of response time in collecting evidence or catching criminals after a crime must be weighed against a variety of factors. Yet because police department officials assume the public strongly demands a rapid response, they believe that every call to the police should be met with it. Studies have shown, however, that while the public wants a quick response, more important is the information given by the police to the person asking for help. If a caller is told the police will arrive in five minutes but in fact, it takes ten minutes or more, waiting the extra time can be extremely frustrating. But if a caller is told he or she will have to wait 10 minutes and the police indeed arrive within that time, the caller is normally satisfied. Thus, rather than emphasising rapid response, the focus of energies should be on establishing realistic expectations in the caller and making every effort to meet them.

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Rapid Police Response IELTS Reading Answers

Questions 1-7:

Do the statements given reflect what the writer is trying to say in the passage? In boxes 1-7 on your answer sheet, write:

TRUE if the statement agrees with the given information

FALSE if the statement contradicts the given information

NOT GIVEN if there is no information given on statement

1. Police believe there is a better chance of finding witnesses to a crime if the response is rapid.

2. A response delay of 1-2 minutes may have a substantial influence on whether or not a suspected criminal is caught.

3. The public and the police generally agree on the amount of time normally taken for a rapid response.

4. Physical barriers are the greatest cause of delay in contacting the police.

5. Rapid response is considered desirable in handling cases of burglary.

6. Research shows that some 75% of crimes are discovered by victims after they have been committed.

7. Police departments are usually successful in providing a rapid response regardless of

the circumstances of the crime or emergency.

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IELTS Reading Answers: "Rapid Police Response" Passage Answers

1. Police believe there is a better chance of finding witnesses to a crime if the response is rapid.

• Answer: TRUE
• Answer Location: Paragraph 2
• Answer Reference: “It aids in identifying those who witnessed an emergency or crime…”
• Explanation: The statement matches the passage, which says rapid response helps police find witnesses.

2. A response delay of 1–2 minutes may have a substantial influence on whether or not a suspected criminal is caught.

• Answer: FALSE
• Answer Location: Paragraph 3
• Answer Reference: “...greater likelihood of arrest only if responses are in the order of 1–2 minutes…”
• Explanation: The passage says arrest likelihood increases with a 1–2 minute response, not that a delay causes harm.

3. The public and the police generally agree on the amount of time normally taken for a rapid response.

• Answer: TRUE
• Answer Location: Paragraph 3
• Answer Reference: “...both police officers and the public define ‘rapid response’ as responding up to 10–12 minutes…”
• Explanation: Both groups share the same definition, so the statement is accurate.

4. Physical barriers are the greatest cause of delay in contacting the police.

• Answer: FALSE
• Answer Location: Paragraph 4
• Answer Reference: “...no such physical barrier... very common for crime victims to call their parents, their minister, or even their insurance company first.”
• Explanation: Most delays are due to personal choices, not physical barriers.

5. Rapid response is considered desirable in handling cases of burglary.

• Answer: FALSE
• Answer Location: Paragraph 5
• Answer Reference: “...there is little point, in terms of identifying those responsible... in ensuring a very rapid response.”
• Explanation: In burglary cases, rapid response is often unnecessary as crimes are discovered late.

6. Research shows that some 75% of crimes are discovered by victims after they have been committed.

• Answer: TRUE
• Answer Location: Paragraph 5
• Answer Reference: “...three in four calls to police need not be met with rapid response.”
• Explanation: “Three in four” (75%) refers to crimes found after the fact, making rapid response less useful.

7. Police departments are usually successful in providing a rapid response regardless of the circumstances of the crime or emergency.

• Answer: NOT GIVEN
• Answer Location: NOT GIVEN
• Answer Reference: NOT GIVEN
• Explanation: NOT GIVEN

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Conclusion

Understanding the Rapid Police Response reading passage can help you do better in the IELTS reading test. One should go through the explanations, and IELTS reading answers will make it easier to answer similar questions. 

If you want more help or advice, you can also talk to upGrad experts. They can guide you step-by-step to prepare well and improve your IELTS score.