CSO crime detection figures published for first since 2016
Crime detection figures are being published today, breaking a four-year gap in independent data on the Garda crime-solving rates.
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) will provide detection rates for all recorded crimes — the first time since 2016 it has published such data after stating it could no longer stand over Garda figures.
Today’s data covers the year 2018, while the data published in December 2016 referred to 2010-2014.
The figures are expected to show a significant reduction in detection rates since 2014 — but the CSO stresses that the figures are “not comparable” because different definitions of “detections” are being used.
Garda bosses will give detailed briefings this morning to explain the changes in the definitions and work to improve detections.
Figures provided in August 2018 by gardaí, but not agreed upon by the CSO, had already shown a significant reduction in detection rates.
This included a drop in detection rates for assaults (from 61% of cases in 2013 to 44% in 2017) and sexual crimes (from 57% to 33%).
The Policing Authority last year reported significant drops in detections of assaults, sexual offences, and drug offences.
The CSO figures published in 2016 showed the that detection rates fell significantly between 2010 and 2014 across a range of categories.
The CSO said that its new data followed changes it had made for recording a detection on the Garda Pulse system.
“Detection rates will not be comparable with figures published from before this change,” said the CSO.
The data will provide detection rates by crime type, Garda region, and per head of population.
