Public happy with gardaí despite crime victims’ concerns
While the overall satisfaction rate remains high - at 83% - it fell by 2% on 2004.
The rates vary enormously across the country.
The survey said three out of 10 people who rang 999 were unhappy with the response.
Some 38% said it took gardaí longer than 15 minutes to respond, with a further 11% saying no gardaí arrived at all.
The Garda Public Attitudes Survey 2005 - carried out by independent agency Millward Brown IMS on behalf of the force - found:
* 27% of local authority residents were unhappy with garda service
* 11.7% of people were victims of crime.
* 83% reported the most recent crime to gardaí, compared with 79% in 2004.
* 42% were dissatisfied at being kept informed of progress in their case.
* 30% of people felt unsafe walking in their neighbourhood.
The survey found satisfaction ratings in the gardaí fell in 20 garda divisions, improved in four and was unchanged in one.
The dissatisfaction ratings varied from as low as 8% in Cork West to as high as 26% in Dublin South Central.
Roscommon/Galway East reported the highest level of people reporting being victims of crime (24%), followed by five Dublin divisions.
The Donegal division recorded the lowest level of satisfaction (26%) among victims of crime at being kept informed of progress in their case.
The survey found that only 16% of people who suffered a racist incident reported it to gardaí.
A quarter of non-EU nationals said they were victims of a racist incident.
Nearly eight-in-10 people thought crime was increasing in Ireland, but a majority were more optimistic about their area.
Respondents said the main policing priorities should be responding to emergencies, enforcing drug laws and targeting organised crime.
Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy welcomed the high overall satisfaction rates and the high reporting levels.
