• 88% of respondents trust An Garda Síochána • 70% of adults are satisfied with the service provided in their local communities by An Garda Síochána • 90% agreed Gardaí are friendly or helpful Close to 90% of the public trust An Garda Síochána, over 70% agree it is community-focused, and nearly 80% say it is human-rights centred, according to the 2024 Garda Public Attitude Survey published today. The survey also found that the majority of people (54%) have "no fears” or "very few fears” about crime and this increases to 71% among 16-17 year olds. As has been the case in previous years, national crime was seen as more of a problem than local crime again in 2024. The 2024 Garda Public Attitude Survey of 12,916 people, aged 18 years and over, and 1,039 young people (16 and 17 years) living in Ireland was undertaken between February and December 2024 by Ipsos B&A on behalf of An Garda Síochána. This survey involved the largest sample size of respondents ever. According to the 2024 Garda Public Attitude Survey, the public’s views about Gardaí and the Garda organisation across demographic categories remained generally positive in 2024. Similar to the last three surveys (2021- 2023) public trust in An Garda Síochána is high at 88%. The organisation’s emphasis on a community-based approach to policing is also reflected with 71% of respondents agreeing it is community-focused. When asked to consider what should be the top policing priority for An Garda Síochána, a greater proportion of respondents stated that sexual offences should be the highest priority. This was also the case in 2023 and in previous years’ surveys - regardless of gender, age or nationality. Domestic abuse was also rated as a high policing priority among respondents, second only to sexual offences. Human trafficking and assaults both featured significantly across all demographics in terms of priorities for An Garda Síochána. The majority of respondents agreed the organisation is representative of the diverse communities it serves – increasing to 56% in both 2023 and 2024 - up from 53% in 2022. Speaking on the publication of the results today, Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly said, "The feedback and views of the large number of people from across the country that took part in this independent study are constructive, and I am pleased that the work of Gardaí is generally very well received on the ground. "When you look across the world, one of the unique and distinct elements of Ireland’s national police and security service is the consistently high level of public trust and satisfaction with the services that it provides. Those working within the organisation can take pride in that, but so too should people of Ireland. Commissioner Kelly added, "In a large, national organisation made up of more than 18,000 personnel there will be areas in which we can strengthen our policing activities to ensure people are safe. "We must always be prepared to adopt feedback and remain open to continually improving the essential services we provide.” "There are a number of important takeaways for An Garda Síochána from these latest survey results. In particular, I have previously spoken on the need for us to improve how we engage with victims and while there have been some improvements, we need to do more to increase satisfaction levels among victims, particularly victims of domestic abuse. "Another area of focus for me is to increase Garda visibility in communities. This has started in Dublin city centre with great success and as we increase the number of Gardaí this year and in the coming years we will introduce this in other cities and large urban areas, while also supporting rural communities.” Other key findings of the Garda Public Attitudes Survey 2024: Victims of crime The victimisation rate for 2024 was 5.6% - a slight reduction from 5.9% in 2023. Similar to 2023, 74% of respondents reported their most recent crime to Gardaí. The most common crimes experienced by victims were criminal damage, burglary, online fraud and assault. These latest survey results indicate improvements in key aspects of Garda interaction and engagement: • 78% were given contact details for the Garda Station having been the victim of a crime (up from 63% in 2021) • 61% felt Gardaí responded quickly (60% in 2023) • 70% given name of investigating Garda (65% in 2023) • 40% given Pulse incident number (30% in 2021) • 34% given details of victims’ helplines/services (unchanged) For the third consecutive year, over half were satisfied with how their case was dealt with. Fear and worry about crime Most respondents (54%) reported having "no fears” or "very few fears” about crime. For the fourth consecutive year, over half of people surveyed stated that fear of crime had no impact on their quality of life (57%). As has been the case in previous years, national crime was seen as more of a problem than local crime again in 2024. 43% of respondents in the 2024 Garda Public Attitude Survey stated local crime was "not a problem”. Garda visibility at a national level 38% reported being aware of Garda presence at a national level, with 63% of the view this presence is ‘not enough’. Treatment by An Garda Síochána Continuing trends seen in previous surveys, the majority of respondents were of the view that Gardaí would treat you with respect, and that they treat everyone fairly regardless of who they are. Views on Garda service to communities were positive. Agreement levels with a number of key statements were: • The Gardaí can be relied on to be there when needed (67%) • Gardaí listen to the concerns of local people (71%) • Gardaí address things that matter to the local community (68%) Perceptions of An Garda Síochána 79% agreed that An Garda Síochána is focused on human rights while over 70% of people agreed that An Garda Síochána is community-focused. While showing declines from previous years, 60% agreed that An Garda Síochána is effective in tackling crime, and 67% were of the view that the organisation is modern and progressive. Young people and An Garda Síochána Of the 1,039 young people surveyed, 71% reported having ‘very few’ or no fears about crime. Like adults, they felt ‘sexual offences,’ ‘domestic abuse,’ assaults’ and ‘human trafficking’ should be top priorities for Gardaí. Trust in the Gardaí among 16 and 17 year-olds remains high at 92%, while agreement levels with key statements reveal positive views towards An Garda Síochána: • An Garda Síochána is community-focused (76%) • Modern and progressive (74%) • Human-rights-focused (83%) • Well-managed (67%) • Effective in tackling crime (72%) • Representative of diverse communities (57%) Views among young people about respectful and fair treatment were positive, as were perceptions about Garda-community relations. | 