Press Statement

Preasráiteas

05 November 2021

Go to release: Recorded Crime Detection 2020

The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has today (05 November 2021) published statistics on rates of detection for crime incidents reported to An Garda Síochána (AGS) in 2020, and updated detection statistics for crimes reported in 2019. A crime is considered to have been detected when AGS have identified at least one person responsible for committing the offence and that person – the suspected offender - has been issued a charge or summons, a formal or informal caution, or a fixed payment notice. The statistics published today also provide information relating to the age and sex of suspected offenders and the types of sanction issued.

Commenting on the release, Sam Scriven, Statistician, said: “Recorded Crime Detection 2020 is the third annual publication of statistics on crime detection since An Garda Síochána introduced new data governance controls targeted at improving data quality in the recording of crime detections in 2018.

Detection rates vary considerably across different crime types. The highest detection rates for crimes reported in 2020 was in dangerous or negligent acts, where more than five of every six recorded crimes were detected (87%), and the lowest was in sexual offences, where one in ten crimes were detected (10%). More than four out of five homicide offences in 2020 have been detected. For crimes reported in 2020, the rate of detection for many crime types increased in comparison to the detection rates for 2019 crimes measured one year ago, for example in assaults and related offences (38% detected, an increase of five percentage points), robbery (31% detection rate, up five percentage points), burglary (22% detected, up eight percentage points), criminal damage (24% detected, up four percentage points) and public order offences (86% detected, up two percentage points). Users should note when considering crime trends the varying COVID-19 restrictions in place for much of 2020 and the likely impact of such restrictions on levels of crime.

Detection rates for crimes reported in 2019 are also updated in today’s publication, based on latest available data. The detection rate for sexual offences in 2019 has risen to one in five (20%) based on the latest available data, compared to just over one in ten (12%) when measured one year ago. Similar to the findings in last year’s publication, the rates of incidence of crimes for many crime types were higher in Dublin than outside Dublin, while detection rates tended to be lower in Dublin than outside Dublin.”

Also commenting on the publication today of statistics relating to the age and sex of suspected offenders or recorded crimes in 2020, Sam Scriven, Statistician, said: “These statistics are normally published at a later stage in conjunction with statistics relating to victims, but have been brought forward to provide more timely statistics for users. The range of crime types for which these statistics are provided has also been extended in response to user demand. For detected crimes in 2020, the proportion of suspected offenders who were male was 90% in the category of homicide, and 95% in the category of sexual offences. Four out of five detected assaults had a male suspected offender. The statistics show that males were identified as responsible for the vast majority of detected crimes in the categories of robbery (90%), burglary (93%), drug offences (90%), weapons offences (92%) and criminal damage (89%). In detected theft crimes, the suspected offender was female in just over one in three crimes (35%). For detected sexual offences, the suspected offender was aged under 18 at the time of the offence in just over one in five crimes (22%). Juveniles were also recorded as the suspected offenders in more than one in five detected crimes of robbery (23%) and criminal damage (22%).

Statistics for fixed payment notices issued by An Garda Síochána show a decrease in the number of fines issued for many categories of driving offences, including drink driving offences, use of mobile phone while driving, seatbelt offences, and for failing to display a valid NCT. The number of fines issued for speeding, however, increased compared to 2019, along with the number of fines issued for learner driver offences and vehicle roadworthiness offences.”

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