Issue Date: 26th October 2023
An Garda Síochána has today welcomed the decision by the CSO (Central Statistics Office) to lift the ‘Under Reservation’ designation on the official crime statistics it publishes.
Speaking today, Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said:
"The decision by the CSO to lift the "Under Reservation” designation of official crime statistics is welcomed.
"This milestone decision is a recognition of the progress made by An Garda Síochána in connecting data, technology and Garda personnel in the delivery of information-led policing.
"Modern, professional police services increasingly use data such as crime statistics to prevent and tackle crime. Having this data to aid Gardaí in keeping people safe is only possible through proper and accurate recording by all Garda personnel.”
Commissioner Harris continued:
"This decision also recognises the huge contribution of all Garda personnel in adopting data and technology in their work. There is still much more to do, but data and technology now track and sometimes lead virtually every step of policing; forming a data lifecycle from the first emergency call, to criminal investigations, to national scale management information and official crime statistics. The lifting of the reservation is also an important return on the investment made by Government in Garda modernisation.”
Commenting on the decision, An Garda Síochána’s Chief Information Officer, Mr. Andrew O’Sullivan stated:
"The primary focus of the end-to-end data lifecycle we have built is on providing timely, reliable information to Gardaí. That operational data is also re-used for management decisions, evidence for policy makers, and for official statistics.
"Three years into the implementation of the Garda Data & Technology Vision 2020-2025, data and technology have transformed into two of the organisation’s most effective and valuable policing tools. Their increasing application is helping to spearhead the modernisation of An Garda Síochána and will continue to do so as we equip the organisation for policing in an increasingly digital society.
"This decision is another important milestone in the delivery of that vision. We have built strong professional skills in data and technology, deployed multiple national and international policing systems, and created organisation-wide data governance structures.
"Most importantly, the increased use of data by Garda personnel ensures that it is being constantly checked, assessed and improved. The end result is progressively higher quality data as demonstrated by our own published metrics, internal reviews and now confirmed by the CSO.
"We will continue to invest in our people, systems and processes to provide even more tools, analysis and insight to Gardaí and Garda staff. We will also continue to increase the use of the same data in reports and publications for stakeholders and citizens. This ongoing commitment to data quality will support evidence-based policy making and transparency on crime trends and policing. We look forward to ongoing collaboration with the CSO and other Government partners to grow the value of data to public services overall."
Information Note on An Garda Síochána Data and Technology Developments
• Multiple new national and international scale systems introduced over the last two years; the Schengen Information System, a new national Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) System; a new Roster and Duty Management System (RDMS); the Investigation Management System (IMS); modernisation of data centres (including upgraded cyber security); and the completion of the roll-out of one of the biggest centrally managed smartphone platforms and custom app portfolios in the state (14,000+ handheld devices).
• The Garda Síochána Analysis Service graphical management information on performance and emerging crime trends now anchor national policing and security management meetings, covering all policing operations.
• Full deployment of a big data analytics platform.
• The national deployment of a recording system for detailed crime investigation outcomes from November 2023.
• Increased external transparency through published data quality metrics and reports, such as ground-breaking data on domestic, gender and sexual violence. Also, a collaboration with the CSO which has allowed An Garda Síochána to become the first major public sector agency to comprehensively measure and report on the diversity of our organisation, while also demonstrating the value of unique identifiers in public service data.
Information Note on An Garda Síochána’s Data & Technology Vision
• The Garda Commissioner created the Office of the Chief Information Officer in November 2019 to maximise the long term value of Garda data and technology to the organisation and stakeholders, not just data quality. The CIO Office comprises ICT, the Garda Information Services Centre (GISC), the Garda National Vetting Bureau, Data Architecture, Data Protection, Freedom of Information and the Garda Síochána Analysis Service (GSAS). These specialist functions collaborate closely with each other and across the wider organisation to deliver Information Led Policing which in turn has embedded a culture that values high quality data.
• An Garda Síochána’s Data & Technology Vision is published here:
data-and-technology-vision.pdf (garda.ie)
• A modern police service must have the electronic tools to be effective in keeping people safe in today’s society, where there has been an explosive growth in data and the use of digital devices across all aspects of life, including criminality.
• Legally obtained digital evidence including digital images are becoming the essential component of virtually every substantial investigation. Digitalisation of policing and the supporting corporate services requires the successful blending of the electronic (devices, technology and data) and the physical (training, tradecraft, experience and direct presence) to be effective and ethical.
• In response to both the opportunities and serious threats presented by digitalisation, An Garda Síochána has developed and updated the Data and Technology Vision for 2023. The eighth principle of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland (CoFPI) states the need for "Information Led Policing”. This Vision describes how we will deliver on this by connecting data, technology and Garda personnel.
• The Vision centres on the concept of data value chains that use devices, technology and data science capabilities to progressively process and condense massive amounts of raw data into actionable insight. As data is transformed into information that is readily available with the appropriate technology, tools and know-how, it becomes a hugely valuable asset to policing.
• This data-driven insight is critical to preventing, responding to and investigating crime as part of An Garda Síochána’s mission of Keeping People Safe.
• We will continue to take a user-centric approach to the usability of all Garda systems – based on the feedback of user groups. All systems are developed iteratively so they evolve to meet the needs of real world scenarios. The vision document theft scenario illustrates how data and technology can support a burglary scenario at each step in the process.
