Memory and Observation Flashcards

Read the following scenario: 'An armed robbery was reported at a post office. A witness described two suspects fleeing in a dark green Opel Astra, registration 08-WH-2345. The vehicle was last seen turning left onto the N4 dual carriageway heading in the direction of Athlone. The incident occurred at approximately 13:20 on Monday.' What colour was the getaway vehicle?

Answer: Dark green

The witness described the Opel Astra as 'dark green'; the other colour options are plausible but incorrect.

Using the same armed robbery scenario, what was the registration of the getaway vehicle?

Answer: 08-WH-2345

The registration 08-WH-2345 is explicitly stated; the distractors reverse or transpose digits.

Using the same armed robbery scenario, in which direction did the getaway vehicle head after the robbery?

Answer: Athlone

The scenario states the vehicle was 'heading in the direction of Athlone' after turning onto the N4.

Garda Ní Fhaoláin attended a missing persons report. The missing person was described as: male, 17 years old, 5 foot 8 inches tall, medium build, short red hair, wearing a school uniform consisting of a dark grey blazer, white shirt, black trousers, and black shoes. He was last seen at 08:30 outside Scoil Mhuire on Cork Road. What colour was the missing person's hair?

Answer: Red

The description clearly states the missing person had 'short red hair.'

Using the same missing person description, where was the individual last seen?

Answer: Outside Scoil Mhuire on Cork Road

The scenario states he was 'last seen at 08:30 outside Scoil Mhuire on Cork Road.'

A Garda officer studying CCTV footage notes the following sequence of events: at 21:05 a male enters a newsagent; at 21:08 an argument begins between the male and the cashier; at 21:11 the male grabs items from the counter and runs out; at 21:14 a patrol car arrives. How many minutes elapsed between the argument starting and the patrol car arriving?

Answer: 6 minutes

The argument began at 21:08 and the patrol car arrived at 21:14, giving an elapsed time of 6 minutes.

When recording a suspect description for an incident report, which combination of details provides the most operationally useful information for identifying the suspect?

Answer: Height, build, hair colour, and clothing description

Height, build, hair colour, and clothing are the standard observable physical descriptors used in Garda suspect descriptions as they are immediately visible and verifiable.