Situational Judgement Flashcards

A young person is found alone at night, distressed and unable to say where they live. What is the most appropriate action?

Answer: Take them to a place of safety and try to contact their guardian or family

A child or vulnerable young person found alone and distressed must be taken to a place of safety. Efforts to contact family or guardians must be made. Child protection is paramount.

You discover that a colleague has been falsifying incident reports. What do you do?

Answer: Report it to a supervisor as soon as possible

Falsifying official records is a criminal offence. It must be reported to a supervisor immediately regardless of the relationship with the colleague.

A member of the public complains that a Garda was rude to them. How should you respond?

Answer: Listen respectfully, take their details, and explain how they can make a formal complaint

Every complaint must be taken seriously. You should listen, acknowledge their concern, and direct them to the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (GSOC) or the formal complaints process.

You are off duty and witness a minor theft in a shop. What is the most appropriate action?

Answer: Identify yourself as a Garda, detain the person if safe, and call on-duty Gardaí

A Garda has powers of arrest at all times, but should act safely. The correct approach is to identify yourself, detain if it is safe and lawful, and involve on-duty colleagues.

You pull over a vehicle and the driver appears intoxicated but claims to be a doctor rushing to an emergency. What should you do?

Answer: Administer a breath test as required by law — no one is exempt

The law applies equally to everyone. A roadside breath test must be administered regardless of the driver's profession or stated emergency. You cannot make exceptions to legal requirements.

A community member tells you in confidence that they know who committed a recent burglary. They do not want to make a formal statement. What do you do?

Answer: Thank them for the information, explain how it will be used, and explore options for anonymous reporting

Intelligence gathered informally is still valuable. You should thank them, be honest about how information is used, and explore anonymous reporting options without making promises you cannot keep.