Over 80% think local crime is not a serious problem – survey

Muireann Duffy

Over 80 per cent of people feel local crime is not a serious problem, with more concern relating to national crime.

The Garda Public Attitude Survey, conducted by Behaviours & Attitudes (B&A) on behalf of An Garda Síochána, found 45 per cent of respondents did not think local crime was a problem, an increase of 13 per cent since 2019, and 63 per cent said they have either 'no fears' or 'very few fears' about crime.

The survey of 7,699 people over 18 and 389 people aged 16 and 17 also found that 60 per cent of people said their fear of crime has no impact on their quality of life.

Trust levels in Gardaí remained on par with surveys from recent years, with 90 per cent of respondents stating they trust Gardaí, and 75 per cent said they are satisfied with the Garda services provided to local communities, with those levels rising among people aged 65 and over (78 per cent) and people aged 18-24 (80 per cent).

Similarly, 90 per cent said they believe they would be treated with respect when in contact with Gardaí, and 75 per cent thought Gardaí would treat you fairly regardless of who you are.

In terms of the types of crime, the survey found 91 per cent of respondents feel sexual offences should be the top policing priority for Gardaí, followed by domestic violence (89 per cent). Human trafficking, illegal weapons and assaults were also highlighted as areas of priority across all age demographics.

Of the adults surveyed, 418 were victims of crime, and just 43 per cent of whom said the information they received from Gardaí during their incident was satisfactory. However, 63 per cent said Gardaí responded quickly to the matter.

Nearly 70 per cent of respondents said the force is well managed, 73 per cent said they feel An Garda Síochána is a community-focused organisation and 65 per cent said Gardaí are effective in tackling crime.

Commenting on the figures, Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said: "The survey shows that most victims are satisfied with the service they receive from An Garda Síochána, but we must continue in our efforts to improve our service to victims, particularly in keeping them fully informed on how their case is progressing. We are taking steps to improve this.

"Our ability to maintain one of the highest levels of public trust in a police service in the world, which is underscored by this survey, is an essential component of modern policing and in achieving our mission of keeping people safe."