The executive committee of the shopping mall announced that more offic

Question

The executive committee of the shopping mall announced that more officers will be added to the mall security force for the holiday shopping season in an effort to keep shoppers safe from violent crimes. The mall security force, which currently consists of 10 officers, was deemed too small after 44 armed robberies were committed in the mall's parking lots during last year's holiday shopping season. Although most of those armed robberies occurred in the mall's northern parking lot, none of the additional officers will be assigned to the northern parking lot.

Which of the following, if true, most helps to explain the apparent discrepancy described above?

(A) All of the mall security force's current officers already spend much of their time patrolling the northern parking lot.

(B) Mall shoppers will feel safer if they see an increase in the number of officers inside the mall.

(C) All mall areas and parking lots aside from the northern lot will be patrolled exclusively by the newly added officers, allowing the security force's existing team of experienced officers to focus entirely on patrolling the northern lot.

(D) The mall's northern parking lot is only open during the holiday shopping season to accommodate the significant increase in mall traffic.

(E) The majority of the crimes that occurred during last year's holiday shopping season took place inside the mall and consisted mostly of non-violent crimes such as petty theft and vandalism.

GMATNinja · Accepted Answer

Let's first identify the discrepancy, using the author's own words as much as possible. "Although most of {the 44 armed robberies committed in the mall's parking lots during last year's holiday shopping season} occurred in the mall's  northern  parking lot,  none  of the additional officers {i.e. the officers who will be added to the mall security force for the holiday shopping season}, will be assigned to the  northern  parking lot." Notice that I avoided paraphrasing and rewording so that I would not unintentionally change the author's meaning. Now let's break down the author's logic:

We know that "44 armed robberies were committed in the mall's parking lots during last year's holiday shopping season." 
 "Most of those armed robberies occurred in the mall's northern parking lot." 
 The mall security force currently consists of 10 officers. 
 In an effort to keep shoppers safe from violent crimes, the executive committee of the shopping mall announced that more officers will be added to the mall security force for the holiday shopping season. 
 However, none of the additional officers will be assigned to the northern parking.

So if most of those 44 armed robberies occurred in the northern parking lot and the mall wants to add more officers to the force because of those violent crimes, why wouldn't the new officers be assigned to the northern parking lot? We need a statement that most helps to explain the apparent discrepancy:

If all of the current officers spend much of their time patrolling the northern parking and there were STILL 44 armed robberies, this evidence simply supports the executive committee's decision to add more officers to the force, which is clearly too small to protect customers from armed robberies. However, this statement does not help explain why none of those new officers will be assigned to the northern parking lot, so (A) should be eliminated.

Perhaps mall shoppers will  feel  safer if the number of officers inside the mall increases. If the goal of were to make shoppers simply  feel  safer, then perhaps this statement would explain why the newly hired officers would be stationed inside the mall rather than in the northern parking lot. However, the goal is "to  keep shoppers safe  from violent crimes", not simply to make shoppers  feel  safer. Thus, choice (B) does not adequately explain the discrepancy and should be eliminated.

The current security force has to patrol all areas of the mall and all parking lots, not just the northern lot. If more officers are added to the force, the security force's CURRENT team of experienced officers can focus on the northern lot, where most of the armed robberies occurred, and the new officers can focus on the other areas that don't have as many problems. This statement helps explain why none of the new officers will be assigned to the northern parking lot, so (C) looks good.

We are trying to explain why none of the additional officers will be assigned to the northern parking lot " for the holiday shopping season ." Statement (D) might explain why the new officers will not be assigned to the northern lot during the rest of the year, but it does not explain the discrepancy in the passage. Eliminate (D).

The new officers will be added "to keep shoppers safe from  violent  crimes." Reducing the number of non-violent crimes is not the goal, so choice (E) is not relevant. Eliminate (E).

(C) is the best choice.

akshayk · Answer

Argument 
 More officers will be added  to the mall security force for the holiday shopping season in an effort to keep shoppers  safe from violent crimes 
The mall security force was deemed too small after 44 armed robberies were committed in the mall's parking lots during last year's holiday shopping season
most of those  armed robberies occurred in the mall's northern parking lot ,  none of the additional officers will be assigned  to the northern parking lot.

(A)  All of the mall security force's current officers already spend much of their time patrolling the northern parking lot. 
We can still add more officers to patrol the northern parking lot. Keep for NOW.

(B)  Mall shoppers will feel safer if they see an increase in the number of officers inside the mall. 
Yes, that is true but it doesn't help explain the discrepancy in the argument i.e. most robberies happened in the northern parking lot yet no officers will be added to patrol the area. OUT.

(C)  All mall areas and parking lots aside from the northern lot will be patrolled exclusively by the newly added officers, allowing the security force's existing team of experienced officers to focus entirely on patrolling the northern lot. 
This explains why they wouldn't want to add people to patrol the northern lot, as they want experienced officers to do so. Seems better than A. Keep!

(D)  The mall's northern parking lot is only open during the holiday shopping season to accommodate the significant increase in mall traffic. 
Great to know, but irrelevant! OUT

(E)  The majority of the crimes that occurred during last year's holiday shopping season took place inside the mall and consisted mostly of non-violent crimes such as petty theft and vandalism. 
The question is about armed robberies and not pretty theft. OUT

A & C
A just tells us the existing officers patrol the area.
C tells us that no new officers would be added because the experienced officers would be patrolling the area exclusively.

C is the answer for me.

Heisenberg12 · Answer

The premise indicates the need for an increase in mall's security force in the face of increasing instances of crimes during the holiday season. Most of the crimes were observed in Northern Parking lot, however, the decision of increasing security in the northern parking lot was avoided.

(A) All of the mall security force's current officers already spend much of their time patrolling the northern parking lot.   The keyword here, according to me, is ALREADY. This option is tempting, however, if this option is true, the armed robbery problems in the Northern Parking lot are sorted. Not a contender.

(B) Mall shoppers will feel safer if they see an increase in the number of officers inside the mall.   This statement, if true, logically explains the situation but does not even tangentially touch the discrepancy here. Hence, discarded.

(C) All mall areas and parking lots aside from the northern lot will be patrolled exclusively by the newly added officers, allowing the security force's existing team of experienced officers to focus entirely on patrolling the northern lot.   This sounds very logical while explaining the discrepancy. It is safe to assume that more experienced officers will be more capable of putting a leash on the crimes in more sensitive areas than would be the newly added officers, who can safely be stationed in other places. Big contender.

(D) The mall's northern parking lot is only open during the holiday shopping season to accommodate the significant increase in mall traffic.   We are concerned with why security is not increased in the Northern Parking lot DURING HOLIDAY SEASON itself. This option hardly explains the discrepancy.

(E) The majority of the crimes that occurred during last year's holiday shopping season took place inside the mall and consisted mostly of non-violent crimes such as petty theft and vandalism.   This option goes against the Premise statement "Although most of those armed robberies occurred in the mall's northern parking lot..." And considering the statement as true, it does not explain the discrepancy, rather it rejects the need to increase security because the crimes are petty. Loser.

Out of A and C, C looks complete and explains the discrepancy, while not discarding the contents of the Premise.

Hence, option C.

Skywalker18 · Answer

The executive committee of the shopping mall announced that more officers will be added to the mall security force for the holiday shopping season in an effort to keep shoppers safe from violent crimes. The mall security force, which currently consists of 10 officers, was deemed too small after 44 armed robberies were committed in the mall's parking lots during last year's holiday shopping season. Although most of those armed robberies occurred in the mall's northern parking lot, none of the additional officers will be assigned to the northern parking lot.

Type - paradox

(A) All of the mall security force's current officers already spend much of their time patrolling the northern parking lot. - Incorrect - Since most of the armed robberies takes place in spite the presence of current officers , it might mean that more officers are needed in northern lot

(B) Mall shoppers will feel safer if they see an increase in the number of officers inside the mall. - Incorrect - but it won't reduce the armed robberies in northern parking lot

(C) All mall areas and parking lots aside from the northern lot will be patrolled exclusively by the newly added officers, allowing the security force's existing team of experienced officers to focus entirely on patrolling the northern lot.- Correct

(D) The mall's northern parking lot is only open during the holiday shopping season to accommodate the significant increase in mall traffic.- Incorrect - it does not explain the paradox in the passage

(E) The majority of the crimes that occurred during last year's holiday shopping season took place inside the mall and consisted mostly of non-violent crimes such as petty theft and vandalism.- Out of scope - we are only concerned with violent crimes

Answer C

VerbalBot · Answer

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