Sexual offences and domestic abuse were the top two policing priorities identified by members of the public in 2021, a survey has found.
Hate crime, road safety, human trafficking, illegal weapons and assaults were the next top priorities, the survey carried out by Behaviour and Attitudes (B&A) on behalf of An Garda Siochana found.
The survey also found that trust in and satisfaction with An Garda Siochana remained high at 91%. The highest level of satisfaction rate was among 18 to 24 year olds at 83%.
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In general, 91% of those surveyed believe that they would be treated with respect if they had any contact with An Garda Siochana and 77% said Gardai would treat you fairly regardless of who you are.
The survey of 7,656 people aged 18 and over, found that 18% believed local crime was a “serious” or “very serious” problem. This is a decrease from 2017 when the figure was 20%.
In addition 48% of people said they did not worry about becoming a victim of crime - a decrease of 1% from 2018 and a decrease of 7% on 2019’s figure of 55%.
There continued to be an increase in the number of people who said An Garda Siochana are community focussed (77%), effective in tackling crime (72%), well managed (69%) and modern and progressive.
Welcoming the results, Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said: “These survey results and the consistently high level of public trust in An Garda Siochana are a strong reflection of the hard work and dedication of Garda personnel nationwide.
“The Covid 19 pandemic was an incredibly trying time for society and Gardai worked tirelessly to keep people safe. They provided vital support to some of the most vulnerable during this time. I do not doubt that the impact of this work can be seen in the many positive results.”
However, Mr Harris said the survey shows that An Garda Siochana needs to improve how they engage with victims of crime.
“Based on these results, we are putting in place a series of measures to make sure that victims are kept fully informed on how their case is progressing,” he said.
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