Majority of people say local crime is not a serious problem

• 63% of people have “no fears” or “very few fears” about crime.
• Nearly 60% said fear of crime had no impact on their quality of life
• 81% of people say local crime is not a serious problem
• Almost 20% increase from 2018 in people who say the organisation is well-managed – 68% say it is well-managed
• 75% satisfied with the service provided by Gardaí
• 90% of people trust An Garda Síochána
• 90% agreed that Gardaí treat you with respect
• 90% of young people trust An Garda Síochána, 86% said they would be treated with respect by Gardaí         

The number of people that believe local crime is “not a problem” has risen by 13 per cent since 2019, according to the 2022 Garda Public Attitude Survey.

The nationally representative survey found that 45% of people believed local crime is “not a problem”. This is higher than in both 2018 and 2019 (31% and 32% respectively) and similar to 2021 (46%).

According to respondents, national crime is seen as more of a problem than local crime.

In addition, 49% of people said they did not worry about becoming a victim of crime and most respondents (63%) reported having “no fears” or “very few fears” about crime. The majority (58%) said fear of crime had no impact on their quality of life.

The Garda Public Attitude Survey of 7,699 people, aged 18 years and over, and 389 young people (16 and 17) was undertaken in the second half of 2022 (August-December) by Behaviour and Attitudes (B&A) on behalf of An Garda Síochána.

Trust in An Garda Síochána remains high at 90% - similar to the last three surveys (2018, 2019 and 2021).

Satisfaction with An Garda Síochána also remains at a high level with 75% of respondents satisfied with Garda services provided to local communities. The highest level of satisfaction with Garda service was greatest for those aged 65 years and older, and for 18-24 year olds (78% and 80% respectively). In general, 90% believe that they would be treated with respect if they had any contact with An Garda Síochána, and 75% said Gardaí would treat you fairly regardless of who you are.

Also, 72% agreed that Gardaí can be relied to be there when they are needed. The majority of respondents said that Gardaí listen to concerns of local people (76%) and address the things that matter to local communities (74%).

91% of respondents were of the opinion that sexual offences should be the top policing priority for An Garda Síochána. This was the case regardless of gender, age or nationality.

Domestic abuse was also rated as a high priority by 89% of respondents, second only to sexual offences. Human trafficking, illegal weapons and assaults featured highly across all demographics in terms of priorities for An Garda Síochána.

In 2022, 79% agreed that An Garda Síochána is focused on human rights.

Other perceptions in 2022 show the majority agreed that An Garda Síochána is community focused (73%), effective in tackling crime (65%), and modern and progressive (73%).

In particular, there has been a notable increase in the view of respondents that the organisation is well managed – increasing from 48% in 2018 to 68% in 2022.

Speaking on the publication of the results today, Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said, “Protecting victims of crime and continuing to strengthen our trusted relationship with the communities that we serve are extremely important for An Garda Síochána.

“Garda personnel nationwide work hard every day in what can at times be a difficult policing environment. The impact of this work can be seen in the positive views of the public reflected in the Public Attitudes Survey 2022.

“Capturing the views of young people and their knowledge and experience of An Garda Síochána has been very useful for our organisation. I am pleased that the efforts of Community Engagement Units and Community Gardaí are having such a positive impact on how younger generations see our police service, and that they know that we are here to help.

The Commissioner added, “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.”

Other key findings of An Garda Síochána Public Attitudes Survey for 2022:Victims of Crime

The victimisation rate for 2022 is 5.4%, a decrease of 1.1% on the 2021 survey. Of the 7,699 respondents to the 2022 survey, 418 were victims of crime. Over half of respondents (53%) were satisfied with how their case was handled. This is down 6% from 2021.

There was an 83% reporting rate to Gardaí in 2022, which is an increase on 80% in 2019 and 81% in 2021. Just under half (43%) felt that the information received from Gardaí during their incident was satisfactory.

Most victims of crime stated that the Gardaí responded quickly (61%) and that they were given the name of the investigating Garda (71%) and contact details for the Garda Station (72%).

Some 80% of crime victims felt that Gardaí would treat you with respect when in contact with them. Fear and Worry about Crime

63% of persons surveyed have no fears or very few fears about crime levels in Ireland.

49% [G30288M1] of respondents do not worry about becoming a victim of crime themselves. 

25% of people surveyed worried about being a victim of personal injury, property theft or damage and cybercrime. They were slightly more likely to worry about someone they live with becoming a victim of any of these incidents (30%).

As in previous years, in 2022 national crime was seen as more of a problem than local crime.

Trust and Satisfaction in An Garda Síochána

Trust in An Garda Síochána at 90% remains at a very high level as in 2021 and 2019 (91%).

75% of respondents are very satisfied or satisfied with the service from Gardaí.

Garda Visibility

43% of those surveyed were aware of Garda patrols in their local area in 2022 – a higher percentage than in 2018 and 2019. It is 6% lower than in 2021.

The proportion of respondents who felt that Garda presence was not enough in their local area currently stands at 54%. This is significantly lower than the 2018 figure of 61%. It is a slight increase of 1% on the 2021 survey findings.

Treatment by An Garda Síochána

90% of respondents were of the belief that An Garda Síochána would treat you with respect if you had contact with them for any reason, while 75% believed they would be treated fairly.

Almost three quarters (72%) of respondents continue to either agree or strongly agree that the Gardaí in their area can be relied on to be there when they are needed.

60% of those surveyed disagreed with the statement that ‘community relations with the Gardaí are poor’. This is a decrease from 2021 where 67% of respondents disagreed that community relations were poor.

76% agreed that Gardaí listen to the concerns of local people, a slight decrease from 80% in 2021. 74% of those surveyed either agreed or strongly agreed that Gardaí are dealing with things that matter to the local community. Perceptions of An Garda Síochána

79% agreed that An Garda Síochána is focused on human rights, 73% feel that An Garda Síochána is community focused and 65% agreed that An Garda Síochána is effective in tackling crime.

Nearly 70% respondents said that An Garda Síochána is well managed.

Young People and An Garda Síochána

The views of young people aged 16 and 17 years were captured again as part of this year’s survey.

Young people expressed 90% trust in An Garda Síochána. Perceptions of An Garda Síochána were also high – with 87% feeling satisfied with the service provided by An Garda Síochána to communities.

86% also agreed they would be treated with respect by Gardaí; 74% felt they would be treated fairly.