- Homicide incidents down over 40% compared to the same period in 2018
- Incidents of burglary decreased by close to 10%
- Minister emphasises value of new National Rural Safety Forum
- Minister highlights potential of Commissioner’s new Garda Operating Model
The Minister for Justice and Equality, Charlie Flanagan T.D., today noted the publication of Crime Statistics by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) for Q2 2019.
Responding to the decrease of over 40% in the number of recorded homicide incidents in the second quarter of 2019 when compared to the same period in 2018, Minister Flanagan said:
I would like to thank An Garda Síochána for their significant efforts in tackling homicide in Ireland. Since the Regency Hotel incident in 2016 in particular, An Garda Síochána believe their intelligence-led approach to policing has saved at least 64 lives, in operations resulting in more than 651 arrests, seizures of over 100 firearms as well as 3,300 rounds of ammunition and €9.8 million in cash.
The Minister continued:
Garda members work hard, often in personally dangerous circumstances, to protect us all. Garda Operations such as ‘Hybrid’ in Dublin and ‘Stratus’ in Louth continue to demonstrate that there will be no let-up in the pressure brought to bear on organised crime gangs in Ireland. On behalf of the public I want to thank An Garda Síochána for their continued bravery in keeping our communities safe from harm.
The CSO figures also identify a decrease of 9.8% in burglary and related offences at the end of Q2 2019, when compared to the same period last year. While the figures in relation to Theft offences were similar to the same period last year, incidents of ‘theft from person’ offences have decreased by 11%.
Speaking about these figures the Minister said:
Public safety is the fundamental priority for me as Minister for Justice and Equality. Increasing numbers of Gardaí, and targeted operations, are producing positive results in tackling the activities of organised crime gangs and other prolific offenders. Gardaí in the same operation work with communities to prevent crime, including rural crime. The scale of Garda activity to tackle burglary and property-related crime has, up to May 2019, led to approximately 10,000 arrests and over 11,500 criminal charges, covering offences including burglary, handling stolen property, possession of firearms and drugs offences.
The Minister also highlighted the recent establishment of the National Rural Safety Forum as having an important role to play in tackling rural crime into the future:
I was delighted to this month, at the Ploughing Championships, launch the National Rural Safety Forum which was established to develop and utilise a nationwide communications network for the distribution of crime prevention advice. It is intended to increase engagement within communities and to prevent and reduce the opportunity for crime. I am certain that the cooperation in this forum between An Garda Síochána, my Department and national and local organisations will provide great reassurance to communities and individuals across Ireland.
The Minister also noted the marked increase in recorded incidents of fraud, deception and related incidents of 34.4% in Q2 2019 when compared to the same period in 2018. Minister Flanagan added:
A range of measures are being taken to prevent and combat fraud, including insurance fraud. Gardaí are taking steps to ensure consistency in how reports of potential fraud are received, recorded and disseminated for investigation. Changes have also been made to the Pulse system to improve the quality and consistency of recording of insurance related crime.
Incidents of controlled drugs offences were up 16.5% when compared to the same period last year, continuing a trend seen in the CSO figures for Q1 2019. Minister Flanagan said:
The upward trend in recorded incidents of controlled drug offences remains a cause for concern. The Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau leads in tackling all forms of drug trafficking and the supply of illicit drugs in Ireland. Collaboration at an inter-agency and international level remain key in tackling this issue. For example, in a joint operation earlier this month involving members of The Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau and the United Kingdom National Crime Agency, a number of searches were carried in Dublin and Meath resulting in a seizure of heroin with an estimate value of €1 million euro. I would like to commend all those involved in this operation.
There has been an increase of 9.2% in the number of reported sexual offences, representing a total of 3,286 incidents. This continues a trend seen since Q1 2015, where reported incidents have risen 54.9% from 2,086 incidents in Q1 2015 to 3,231 incidents in the year to Q1 2019. Minister Flanagan said:
The Government is committed to preventing and addressing sexual crime in all its forms and we are working hard, on a whole-of-Government basis, to do so. I very much welcome that more victims are coming forward to Gardaí and I urge victims to continue to do so.
Minister Flanagan added:
The laws surrounding sexual offences have been significantly strengthened in recent years and An Garda Síochána is continuously improving its specialist services to respond to the needs of victims. Ten Divisional Protective Service Units have already been established and similar units are being rolled out nationwide, with specially trained officers responsible for engagement with and interviewing of victims. These Units will support the delivery of a consistent, professional and sensitive approach to the investigation of sexual crime.
The Minister added:
It is also incumbent on all of society to continue to examine behaviour and attitudes in relation to sexual crime. I launched ‘No Excuses’, a 3 year national awareness raising campaign on sexual harassment and sexual violence in May of this year, with the aim of increasing awareness of sexual violence and to bring about changes in societal attitudes. Ultimately we all have to work together, and with An Garda Síochána, to decrease and prevent these heinous offences.
Reflecting on the CSO statistics overall, Minister Flanagan said:
While it is clear that challenges remain, there is also a lot to welcome in the crime statistics published by the CSO today. Gardaí are achieving significant successes in a range of crime categories and should be commended for their efforts.
These statistics further support the independent assessment of Garda performance by the Policing Authority, released earlier this month, which found that “almost all of the commitments in the [policing] plan aimed at reducing crime and the fear of crime are on target”. That report also pointed to a ‘clear sense of pace, effort and direction’ in An Garda Síochána.
These positive results are being achieved at a time of record investment in An Garda Síochána. €1.76 billion has been allocated to the Garda Vote for 2019, as well as capital investment amounting to € 92 million this year. We now have over 14,200 Gardaí nationwide, supported by over 2,700 Garda staff. And the organisation is continuing to grow - a programme of accelerated recruitment is ongoing with a view to reaching 15,000 Gardaí in an overall Garda workforce of 21,000 by 2021. Taken together, this increased recruitment of Gardaí and civilian staff is leading to a real increase in Gardaí on the ground in our communities, where their training and policing expertise can be used to best effect.
The Minister concluded by noting that the new Garda Operating Model announced this month by the Garda Commissioner will further assist in increasing the number of Gardaí on operational duty:
The Commissioner’s new Garda operating model meets a key commitment in ‘A Policing Service for the Future’, the 4-year implementation plan giving effect to the recommendations of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland. By reducing bureaucracy and devolving decision-making power from Garda Headquarters to the local level, communities should over time see an improved and more localised policing service. Crucially, the plan means many more Gardaí out on the beat, in communities, all over Ireland.