Crime Levels.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 11 May 2005

Wednesday, 11 May 2005

Ceisteanna (202, 203, 204, 205, 206)

Gay Mitchell

Ceist:

246 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the crime statistics for the Rathmines Garda station area, Dublin, for each of the years between 1997 and 2004; the personnel strength by rank for each of these years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15688/05]

Gay Mitchell

Ceist:

247 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the crime statistics for the Donnybrook Garda station area, Dublin for each of the years between 1997 and 2004; the personnel strength by rank for each of these years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15689/05]

Gay Mitchell

Ceist:

248 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the crime statistics for the Irishtown Garda station area, Dublin for each of the years between 1997 and 2004; the personnel strength by rank for each of these years. [15690/05]

Gay Mitchell

Ceist:

249 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the crime statistics for the Harcourt Terrace Garda station area, Dublin for each of the years between 1997 and 2004; the personnel strength by rank for each of these years. [15691/05]

Gay Mitchell

Ceist:

250 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the crime statistics for the Pearse Street Garda station area, Dublin for each of the years between 1997 and 2004; the personnel strength by rank for each of these years. [15692/05]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. McDowell)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 246 to 250, inclusive, together.

On becoming Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, I arranged for the publication of headline crime statistics on a quarterly basis in order to improve the quality of information available to the public. While caution should be exercised in interpreting levels of crime between quarters, I am pleased to note that during my term of office as Minister, the quarterly crime rate has decreased from 6.7 per 1,000 population to six per 1,000 over the longer period of eleven quarters for which figures are available. This trend is reflected throughout most Garda districts in the country. In interpreting these figures, account has also to be taken of the introduction of the new PULSE computer system by the Garda Síochána in 1999, which led to more complete and comprehensive recording of crimes reported than was previously the case. The Deputy will also wish to be aware that, taking into account the significant increase in our population since 1995, the headline crime rate has fallen from 29 per 1,000 population in 1995 to 25 per 1,000 population in 2004.

The following tables show the headline offences, for the years 2000 to 2004 inclusive, for the Terenure Garda district which covers the Rathmines area, the Pearse Street Garda district, which covers the Harcourt Terrace area, and the Donnybrook Garda district which covers the Irishtown area. Comparable figures for the years 1997 to 1999 are not available.

I am informed by the Garda authorities that the personnel strength by rank for each of the Garda stations requested by the Deputy is set out on the attached tables. The number of Garda personnel assigned to each station, together with overall policing arrangements and operational strategy, is continually monitored and reviewed. Such monitoring ensures that optimum use is made of Garda resources, and the best possible Garda service is provided to the general public. In this regard, I should like to mention that in addition to the specific resources available to above stations, there has also been a considerable increase since 1997 in the number of gardaí serving in National units which are available to all the stations in the DMR. Specialist Garda units such as the Garda National Drug Unit, the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the Criminal Assets Bureau and the Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation operating under the assistant commissioner in charge of national support services has enabled the Garda Síochána to tackle serious crime effectively. These specialist units work very closely with Garda operating at district and divisional level.

In regard to Garda resources generally, I am very pleased that the Government has approved my proposal to increase the strength of the Garda Síochána to 14,000 members on a phased basis, in line with the An Agreed Programme for Government commitment in this regard. This is a key commitment in the programme for Government, and its implementation will significantly strengthen the operational capacity of the Force.

The Commissioner will be drawing up plans on how best to distribute and manage these additional resources. Clearly, the additional resources will be targeted at the areas of greatest need, as is envisaged in the programme for Government. The programme identifies in particular areas with a significant drugs problem and a large number of public order offences, but it will be possible to address other priorities as well, such as the need to very significantly increase the number of gardaí allocated to traffic duties as part of the new Garda Traffic Corps. I have already promised that the additional gardaí will not be put on administrative duties. They will be put directly into frontline, operational, high-visibility policing. They will have a real impact.

Table 1

Headline Offences Recorded and Detected for Terenure Garda District from 2000 to 2004*
Year	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004*
	Rec	Dec	Rec	Dec	Rec	Dec	Rec	Dec	Rec	Dec
Homicide	2	1	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	0
Assault	20	12	35	21	56	25	68	45	43	25
Sexual Offences	11	3	15	4	32	14	42	26	26	10
Arson	12	2	14	0	14	2	17	1	31	5
Drugs	11	11	13	13	14	14	21	21	18	18
Thefts	840	191	834	240	911	267	874	253	854	187
Burglary	684	189	675	235	722	92	782	100	727	64
Robbery	59	30	50	19	65	16	71	20	55	18
Fraud	14	5	29	20	53	37	22	11	44	27
Other	4	3	10	5	12	9	7	2	11	6
Total	1,657	447	1,675	557	1,879	476	1,905	480	1,809	360

*Statistics for 2004 are provisional/operational and liable to change.

Table 2

Headline Offences Recorded and Detected for Pearse Street Garda District from 2000 to 2004*
Year	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004*
	Rec	Dec	Rec	Dec	Rec	Dec	Rec	Dec	Rec	Dec
Homicide	0	0	1	1	2	2	2	1	4	1
Assault	54	25	115	76	212	141	171	89	145	70
Sexual Offences	24	19	62	53	119	103	41	21	28	8
Arson	17	3	15	1	13	2	12	2	12	2
Drugs	71	71	75	75	128	128	145	145	179	179
Thefts	4,639	1,418	4,747	1,741	5,471	1,867	4,819	1,455	4,029	1,268
Burglary	661	266	673	259	557	170	726	138	583	109
Robbery	256	99	266	95	282	99	240	69	183	67
Fraud	76	52	130	93	193	148	162	125	115	59
Other	11	9	17	12	22	19	26	21	16	6
Total	5,809	1,962	6,101	2,406	6,999	2,679	6,344	2,066	5,294	1,769

*Statistics for 2004 are provisional/operational and liable to change.

Table 3

Headline Offences Recorded and Detected for Donnybrook Garda District from 2000 to 2004*
Year	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004*
	Rec	Dec	Rec	Dec	Rec	Dec	Rec	Dec	Rec	Dec
Homicide	1	1	0	0	1	1	1	1	2	1
Assault	13	11	38	30	37	31	25	22	35	21
Sexual Offences	19	19	32	26	47	40	37	31	23	15
Arson	10	0	8	1	10	1	12	5	20	9
Drugs	3	3	17	17	14	14	17	17	6	6
Thefts	977	274	926	342	1,074	310	1,067	233	1,046	198
Burglary	434	241	492	239	549	166	692	230	663	99
Robbery	43	25	64	33	50	23	75	38	54	27
Fraud	18	15	47	27	128	95	38	26	46	36
Other	2	2	11	6	27	26	20	13	14	7
Total	1,520	591	1,635	721	1,937	707	1,984	616	1,909	419

*Statistics for 2004 are provisional/operational and liable to change.

Table 4

Personnel strength of Rathmines Garda Station for the years 1997 to 2004.
Year	Superintendent	Inspector	Sergeant	Garda
1997	1	5	11	73
1998	1	5	11	73
1999	0	1	10	65
2000	0	1	9	69
2001	0	1	10	70
2002	0	1	8	58
2003	0	1	8	62
2004	0	1	9	62

Table 5

Personnel strength of Pearse Street Garda Station for the years 1997 to 2004.
Year	Chief Superintendent	Superintendent	Inspector	Sergeant	Garda
1997	2	1	8	29	191
1998	1	2	7	28	177
1999	1	2	9	24	179
2000	1	2	9	26	183
2001	1	2	8	26	179
2002	1	2	8	24	179
2003	1	2	6	27	202
2004	1	2	7	28	214

Table 6

Personnel strength of Donnybrook Garda Station for the years 1997 to 2004.
Year	Superintendent	Inspector	Sergeant	Garda
1997	1	4	14	107
1998	1	4	17	107
1999	1	4	15	106
2000	1	3	15	101
2001	2	3	14	97
2002	1	4	15	94
2003	1	4	16	102
2004	1	4	15	105

Table 7

Personnel strength of Harcourt Terrace Garda Station for the years 1997 to 2004.
Year	Superintendent	Inspector	Sergeant	Garda
1997	0	0	12	79
1998	0	0	13	80
1999	0	0	12	72
2000	0	1	10	73
2001	0	1	9	70
2002	0	1	10	68
2003	0	1	9	65
2004	0	1	9	67

Table 8

Personnel strength of Irishtown Garda Station for the years 1997 to 2004.
Year	Superintendent	Inspector	Sergeant	Garda
1997	0	1	9	50
1998	0	1	11	47
1999	0	1	9	47
2000	0	1	9	49
2001	0	1	10	43
2002	0	0	10	39
2003	0	1	8	46
2004	0	1	8	48