Written Answers. - Crime Statistics.
Joe Sherlock
Question:
82
Mr. Sherlock
asked the
Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform
the progress made to date in the audit of all offences in the Waterford city Garda division, arising from allegations of falsification of conviction rates in Garda records in Waterford; when the promised new system for the collation of crime figures will be in place; the way in which the new system will work; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[23711/02]
I have received a report from the Garda authorities arising from the allegations referred to by the Deputy which relate to the manner in which a small number of incidents in the Waterford city Garda district came to be classified as "detected".
As the House will be aware, as a consequence of these allegations, the Garda Commissioner appointed a chief superintendent from outside the region to review all aspects of the matter. The chief superintendent carried out a complete audit of all headline and relevant non-headline offences in the Garda district in question for 2001. The audit examined all detected offences and the evidence leading to those offences being declared as detected.
The audit was subsequently extended to incidents in Waterford in the years 1997 to 2000. A sample survey of similar incidents nationwide was also undertaken. The audit also examined compliance with the crime counting rules as they currently apply.
I am informed by the Garda authorities that these three audits have been carried out. As a result of the first audit into the Waterford statistics for 2001, I am informed that the number of crimes recorded has been reduced from 2,487 to 2,413, a 3% reduction, while the number of crimes detected has reduced from 1,599 to 1,411 resulting in a reduction in the detection rate from 64.3% to 58.5%.
The second audit re-examined 400 randomly sampled offences from the Waterford district, comprising 100 offences from each of the years 1997 to 2000. Of the 400 offences examined, 55.8% resulted in a prosecution, and a further 20% resulted in a referral to the juvenile diversion programme. Of the remaining 97 incidents, 11 offences, or 2.8% of the total sample, were found to have been marked detected in error.
The third audit examined 3,100 offences from the rest of the country in 2001. These incidents were selected using a computer-based random number generator with a pre-defined quota being set for each division. It was found that 65% of these incidents resulted in a prosecution and 12.5% in a referral to the Garda juvenile division programme. Of the remaining 22%, it was found that 53 offences, or 1.7% of the sample, had been marked detected in error.
The chief superintendent has made a number of recommendations in relation to the formulation of clear crime counting rules and the establishment of clear criteria regarding reclassification of suspects, together with the formulation of strict guidelines for supervisors' review of incidents on the PULSE system and the establishment of a data quality control unit within the Garda Síochána. The chief superintendent has further recommended the building of system safeguards within the PULSE system will ensure accurate and up-to-date information.
Arising from the audits, it has been concluded that no evidence was found of any abuse of procedures in recording crime and that all decisions were made in good faith. The Garda Commissioner has informed me that he has accepted the recommendations contained in the report and I look forward to early progress being made on their implementation. I have asked the commissioner to make arrangements to publish the report and he has done so yesterday.
As I have previously stated, I am firmly of the view that public confidence must be upheld in the validity and legitimacy of crime statistics generally. That is why, irrespective of the outcome of the investigation into the Waterford statistics and without in any way questioning the validity of statistics contained in the commissioner's report, I obtained the agreement of the Government to establish an expert group on crime statistics to examine the methods of collation and presentation of crime statistics by the Garda Síochána and other organisations involved in criminal prosecution and to conduct national crime victimisation surveys every two years in order to promote the availability of complementary sources of crime data. In the context of the introduction of the PULSE system, the expert group will develop an accepted framework for the production and presentation of reported crime statistics over the coming decades. Such a framework, to be agreed following wide-ranging expert consultation, will also serve to inform and reassure members of the public of the integrity, validity and usefulness of official crime statistics. Membership of the expert group, which I expect to announce shortly, will be representative of the relevant agencies. The group will be required to present its initial findings within a 12 month period.
Together with the improvements to be implemented by the commissioner, the reforms which I am undertaking will help to place the preparation of information on crime on a modern, transparent basis thus facilitating us all in continuing to devise effective strategies in fighting crime.
