CSO's 'under reservation' warning on Garda crime stats removed due to improvements
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Garda crime statistics have improved so much that the Central Statistics Office (CSO) now deems them reliable and has removed the previous 'under reservation' warning.
Following a review, the CSO concluded that Garda PULSE data is fit for official statistics purposes. Since March 2018, the CSO had applied the 'under reservation' warning to recorded crime statistics to alert users that the CSO had concerns about the quality of the data source.
The reservation has been lifted for recorded crime data disseminated by the CSO from Quarter 1, 2023. The CSO also noted that the improved data is beneficial for operational policing purposes.
The CSO removed the warning after Garda record-keeping adopted various recommendations, including the development and implementation of a formal data quality management system for PULSE that ensures fit-for-purpose crime data.
An independent review was conducted on behalf of gardaí which found evidence of good controls for acknowledged risks to data collection and quality.
“The recorded crime series has been progressively improving over time with the cumulative impact of the improved data quality, assessment, and assurance measures being seen in a higher data quality level as noted in various CSO reviews in recent years,” the CSO report said.
“The decision to lift the ‘under reservation’ designation on recorded crime statistics is because a range of quality assurance measures have been introduced by An Garda Síochána over the last number of years,” CSO statistician James Dalton said.
“This has resulted in sustained improvement in the quality of the underlying Garda crime data. These changes give a level of assurance to users that they can rely on recorded crime statistics.”
Gardaí welcomed the decision by the CSO with Garda Commissioner Drew Harris saying: "The decision by the CSO to lift the 'under reservation' designation of official crime statistics is welcomed.
"Modern, professional police services increasingly use data such as crime statistics to prevent and tackle crime. Having this data to aid Gardaí in keeping people safe is only possible through proper and accurate recording by all Garda personnel.
"This decision also recognises the huge contribution of all Garda personnel in adopting data and technology in their work. There is still much more to do, but data and technology now track and sometimes lead virtually every step of policing; forming a data lifecycle from the first emergency call, to criminal investigations, to national scale management information and official crime statistics.
"The lifting of the reservation is also an important return on the investment made by Government in Garda modernisation.”
Justice Minister Helen McEntee added that the CSO's decision "is underpinned by significant investment in technology and data improvements in An Garda Síochána, and very significant progress by An Garda Síochána in connecting data, technology and Garda personnel in the delivery of information-led policing".
“I want to thank all members of An Garda Síochána for working hard to make these improvements and for adapting to new technologies and systems, which are all of significant value in helping us build stronger, safer communities.
“Crime statistics are of huge value to informing An Garda Síochána’s operational policy and policing approach in communities across the country. My department also uses crime statistics to inform our policy-making processes."