Survey finds public trust in An Garda Síochána is at all time high
Majority also find human rights focus has increased among Garda
The Garda Public Attitude Survey of 7,682 people, aged 18 years and over, and 835 young people (16 and 17) living in Ireland was undertaken between February and December, 2023 by Ipsos B&A on behalf of An Garda Síochána.
The number of people that believe An Garda Síochána listen to and address the concerns that matter to the community has remained high for the third consecutive year, according to the 2023 Garda Public Attitude Survey.
This annual nationally representative study has also found that more people now feel that An Garda Síochána is human rights focused (82%) and agree that it is representative of the diverse communities it serves (56%).
The public’s views about Gardaí and the Garda organisation across demographic categories generally remained positive in 2023. The survey indicates that those aged 65 years and older, and non-Irish nationals hold the most positive views of the organisation.
Similar to the last four surveys (2018, 2019, 2021 and 2022) public trust in An Garda Síochána is high at 89%. The organisation’s emphasis on a community based approach to policing is reflected also with 75% of respondents agreeing we are community focused.
Satisfaction with Garda service to local communities remained high in 2023, at 73% percent, though this is a 2% decrease from 2022.
Sexual offences continued to be the greatest issue among the majority of respondents (91%) when asked to consider what should be the top policing priority for An Garda Síochána. This was the case regardless of gender, age or nationality.
Domestic abuse was also rated as a high policing priority by 90% of respondents, second only to sexual offences. Human trafficking, assaults, drug offences and illegal weapons all featured significantly across all demographics in terms of priorities for An Garda Síochána.
In 2023, 82% agreed that An Garda Síochána is focused on human rights. This is an increase on 2022 when it stood at 79%.
Other perceptions in 2023 show the majority agreed that An Garda Síochána is effective in tackling crime (64%) and both modern and progressive (69%).
In particular, there has been a notable increase in the proportion of respondents that agree the organisation is representative of the diverse communities it serves – increasing to 56% in 2023 from 53% in 2022.
Speaking on the publication of the results today, Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said,
"I am pleased to see all of the positive feedback from those that took part in this independent study as it is a reflection of the consistent hard work of Gardaí nationwide.
"In order to continue building on the high level of public trust and satisfaction with the services that An Garda Síochána provide, we must listen and take on board the constructive views of those we serve.
"In a large organisation of more than 18,000 personnel all working towards the common goal of keeping people safe, there will always be areas in which we can strengthen our work.
"There is much for us to take away from this survey, particularly in the area of keeping victims informed, to ensure that we are continually improving the vital service we provide to the people, of Ireland.”