Crime detection rates fall as resources diverted to organised crime

DETECTION rates for general crime have fallen because garda resources have been diverted to combat organised crime, Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy said yesterday.

But he said the overall detection rate of 35% was still relatively high and better than most police forces across the world.

“I fully recognise that overall detection rates have suffered somewhat as a result of the diversion of resources to combat serious crime, especially drug-related crime,” said Mr Conroy.

Speaking at the annual conference of the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) in Killarney, Co Kerry, he said he was conscious of the number of armed gardaí available to confront heavily armed criminals.

“In the last number of weeks, I’ve increased the number of armed patrols in Dublin to deal with those armed individuals. I’m only hoping our members do not have to use firearms to protect the citizens of Dublin or elsewhere.”

Responding to calls at the conference for more armed officers, Mr Conroy said garda management reviewed this regularly and that more would be armed if that was needed.

He said organised crime was “a very difficult area” to police but that gardaí were very successful in intercepting drug shipments.

He said the flow of guns into the country from eastern Europe and in drug shipments was a major problem for the force.

In relation to road deaths, Mr Conroy told delegates there had been progress in training officers in forensic collision investigation.

He said that in the near future, each garda division would be able to deal with serious collisions and would have dedicated equipment and trained investigators.

The commissioner said the force had to restore adequate numbers of sergeants and inspectors to general supervision and operational policing. He said he had submitted a proposal to the Department of Justice calling for the appointment of 443 sergeants and 73 inspectors.

Mr Conroy said he had “long been concerned, and frequently frustrated, by the slow pace” of replacing or renovating garda stations.

He said he had submitted a proposal to the department for a public private partnership which would involve up to 10 or 12 stations.

Responding to the reported closure of Mountjoy Garda Station, he said he knew of no city of the size of Dublin which had as many police stations as it had, with over 40 of them.

Mr Conroy said large new populations on the outskirts needed policing.