Press release
Minister McEntee notes publication of CSO release on Recorded Crime Detection 2019
Published on
Last updated on
Published on
Last updated on
The Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee TD, has today noted the release by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) of statistical information on Recorded Crime Detection 2019. The release identifies the percentage of crimes recorded by Gardaí in 2019 that had been deemed ‘detected’ by 1 September 2020. A crime is considered detected when An Garda Síochána have identified and sanctioned a suspected offender for the crime.
The release also provides an update on detection rates for crimes committed in 2018, reflecting those crime which were not detected by the time of the last release in September 2019, but which had subsequently been detected by September 2020.
Minister McEntee said:
"This release provides a valuable snapshot of the extent to which crimes reported to Gardaí in 2019 had been detected by September of this year. For many victims, it is important to know that those who have committed crimes against them have been identified and sanctioned where appropriate.
"This series of reports arms us with a robust and reliable assessment of detections which establishes a reliable baseline against which operational decisions can be considered and further progress can be measured and ensured."
The report shows considerable variations in the proportions of the different types of crime incidents which were detected by 1 September 2020. There were high detection rates for public order, dangerous and negligent acts, and drugs offences which recorded detection rates of 84%, 86% and 88% respectively. These high detection rates reflect pro-active enforcement activity by members of An Garda Síochána.
The report also shows a suspected offender has been identified and sanctioned in almost two-thirds (65.5%) of homicides reported in 2019.
However, there were significantly lower levels of detection for offence types where victims are generally reporting offences to Gardaí, such as sexual offences and burglary, which reported detection rates, up to 1 September 2020, of 12% and 15% respectively for offences reported in 2019. It is worth noting however that the updated figures for 2018 suggest that there is an increase in detection for sexual offences in particular over a longer period following reporting of the crime, with the percentage of detection of such offences recorded in 2018 increasing from 11% by September 2019 to 19% by September 2020.
Minister McEntee added:
"An Garda Síochána has been allocated an unprecedented budget of €1.952 billion for 2021. The significant level of funding provided over recent years is enabling sustained, ongoing recruitment of Garda members and staff. As a result, there are now some 14,600 Garda members and over 3,000 Garda staff nationwide. The Budget allocation also provides for an increase in supervisory ranks at Sergeant and Inspector level.
"More Garda recruits and more Garda staff means extra members of the service on the frontline and in specialist units battling organised crime groups, supporting victims, and keeping people safe. This increase in Garda numbers and the ongoing programme of investment and reform will aid Gardaí in detecting increasing numbers of crime in the coming year."
ENDS
The CSO release Recorded Crime Detention 2019 can be viewed online at www.cso.ie/en/csolatestnews/presspages/2020/recordedcrimedetection2019.
Recorded Crime Detection 2019 is the second annual publication of statistics on crime detection since AGS introduced new data governance controls targeted at improving data quality in the recording of detections in 2018. The publication is based on data recorded by AGS on its PULSE (Police Using Leading Systems Effectively) and FCPS (Fixed Charge Penalty System) databases.
A crime is considered detected when AGS have identified and sanctioned a suspected offender for the crime. Valid sanctions may include charges and summons, formal and informal cautions, and fixed penalties depending on the offence type. There are some limited circumstances where a detection is permitted even though no suspected offender has been sanctioned. The rules governing crime incident detection are outlined in the Guide to How Crime is Recorded and Counted by An Garda Síochána.
Crime incidents where a suspected offender has not been sanctioned are considered to be ‘not detected’. This occurs in a variety of scenarios, including where no suspect has been identified, where a suspect has been identified but there is insufficient evidence to support prosecution, or where a victim does not support further action. AGS are currently considering changes to how data is collected which could permit a more complete representation of crime incident outcomes. However, this is not possible based on the data currently available.
The time gap between an offence being recorded and a suspected offender being sanctioned is influenced by a variety of factors (for example: gathering evidence, awaiting laboratory results or awaiting a direction for prosecution), and varies by crime offence type. Hence, crime incident detection rates tend to increase over time before settling. This may take longer than a year for some crime types.
In early 2018, the CSO announced its decision to resume publication of recorded crime statistics in the first six months of 2018. However, as PULSE data – on which the CSO is wholly dependent - is subject to a number of separate ongoing quality reviews and concerns that extended beyond just homicide data, the CSO made the decision that recorded crime statistics will be published in a new category entitled: “Under Reservation”.
According to the CSO, the classification of “Under Reservation” is in keeping with other jurisdictions and other statistical domains. This indicates that, while the statistics have been determined to be of sufficient quality to allow publication, ongoing issues mean that the quality does not yet meet the higher standard required of official statistics by the CSO.
The CSO is engaging with An Garda Síochána to set out the criteria for the lifting of the reservation. These criteria are not confined to homicide data but will address quality concerns across a broader range of issues. They will address issues such as data governance, training, crime data recording procedures and the auditing and monitoring of data quality.
On 11 December 2018, the CSO published a third review of the quality of Recorded Crime statistics. The latest review is based on data recorded on the PULSE database in respect of crimes reported to An Garda Síochána (AGS) in 2017.
The review found considerable development in the quality of Recorded Crime statistics since the publication of the last CSO quality review in 2016, including:
The scope of this review expanded on previous CSO reviews to include data quality concerns arising from the examination of homicide data records during 2017 such as the correct application of crime counting principles. The CSO has also undertaken, for the first time, to assess the quality of statistics relating to crimes with a discriminatory motive and domestic abuse. The CSO concludes that further work is needed to improve the accuracy of recording in these areas, and work is underway in that regard.