GEORGE NEWS - In today’s age of jam-packed urban communities and business districts, surrounded by affluent suburbs and lush farmland, the criminal’s safest method of escape is often on foot. 

As such, it is vital that the victim/s of a criminal act memorise as much of the perpetrator’s appearance as possible.

The more features that one can remember, the easier it is for the police and security personnel to apprehend the perpetrator/s. 

But, what does one look for during the traumatic, adrenaline-fuelled, often split-second window one might have before the criminal/s disappears?

Below are ten key features to look out for:

• Skin tone: Taking note of the suspect’s skin tone is often the first detail one can instantly observe, regardless of visibility conditions, and is crucial in narrowing down a fast-paced search.

• Scars: Memorising any scars the suspect may have is one of the best-case scenarios; scars are permanent and cannot easily be removed.

• Tattoos: As with scars, tattoos also rank very highly as unique identifiers.

• Clothing: What type of clothing was he/she wearing? What colour was their hoody or jeans? What type of footwear did they have on? Were there any brand markings or patterns on the clothing?

• Hair colour: What colour was his/her hair? Did they have short or long hair? Did they have hair extensions? Could the suspect have been wearing a wig?

• Jewellery: Was the suspect wearing any jewellery such as watches, chains, bracelets, earrings etc?

• Head gear: What headgear, if any, did the suspect wear during the incident? Was it a cap, a stocking, a balaclava, a mask? What colour was the headgear?

• Height and build: How tall was the suspect? Was he/she lean or heavyset? Did they walk with a limp or have any other physical impairment?

• Voice: Did the suspect speak? What accent did they have? What language did they speak? Did they sound calm or aggressive?

• Weapon: Perhaps most importantly, what weapon was the suspect using? This helps a lot in not only ensuring the safety of first responders and the public but also, in some instances, linking the suspect to previous cases, thus increasing the chance of him/her going to jail. 

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