Over 90% of the public have trust in the gardai according to the 2021 attitudes survey.
The survey of 7,656 people, aged 18 years and over, in the second half of 2021 (July-December) showed that 91% of those asked said they trust An Garda Siochana. And less than 20% of those asked said they think local crime is "serious" or "very serious".
Almost half of people, 48%, said they don't worry about becoming a victim of crime. While 78% of people said they are satisfied with the services provided to local communities by gardai.
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The highest rate of satisfaction in An Garda Siochana came from 18 to 24-year-olds, with 83% responding positively. And 91% of respondents said they think they would be treated with respect by gardai.
Of top priorities for gardai, 91% said it should be sexual offences. Domestic abuse, hate crime and road safety were new priority areas in the 2021 survey, with domestic abuse rated as a high priority by 87% of respondents, second only to sexual offences.
Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said: "These survey results and the consistently high level of public trust in An Garda Síochána 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 Gardaí 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.
"Our prime focus continues to be on protecting the victims of crime and building on our strong, trusted relationship with the communities that we serve. The survey does show though that we need to improve how we 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.”
According to the survey:
- 91% of respondents trust An Garda Síochána
- Less than 20% of people perceive local crime as ‘serious’ or ‘very serious’
- 78% satisfied with Garda service to local community
- 80% agreed that An Garda Síochána is focused on human rights
- Majority of people view An Garda Síochána as effective in tackling crime, community-focused, modern and progressive, and well-managed
- Victimisation rate of 6.5% is relatively in line with 2017 and 2018
- The proportion of respondents aware of local Garda patrols has continued to increase.
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