Sir, – Thank you to the authors of the Garda Inspectorate report ("Garda chief denies crime figures massaged", Front Page, November 12th). This is the first time that our fears for the policing of Ireland have been clearly enunciated and confirmed by experts who have set out clear steps to correct the situation.
Generally, such reports are carefully prepared, read by a few interested parties, and carefully shelved, never to see the light of another day.
We can all remember the announcement that the penalty points scandal was over. It would never be allowed to happen again. Except, of course, that it did.
This report needs to be read by everybody. The state of An Garda Síochána is truly appalling. The overhaul cannot be carried out from within. The appointment of a new commissioner should be the result of a global search. He or she needs to have a towering reputation and a zeal for reform.
We need to take a firm approach to the implementation of the recommendations of the inspectorate.
The working members of An Garda Síochána must have a voice in the reform required. We appreciate their goodwill and their desire to serve the public. Above all, we must listen to them. – Yours, etc,
PATRICIA R MOYNIHAN,
Castaheany,
Co Dublin.
Sir, – One of the failings of our systems for recording crime highlighted in the Garda Inspectorate report is the failure to reflect accurately levels of racism and hate crime, an issue which the Immigrant Council of Ireland has worked on for over a decade. The report notes that “during inspection visits the inspectorate asked gardaí of all ranks about investigating racist and homophobic crimes and not one garda reported that they had ever recorded such a crime or investigated an offence”.
Last year we produced figures that show that the levels of racism reported to the PSNI were 700 per cent higher than those recorded by An Garda Síochána.
The gap is so wide that, even allowing for different legal definitions and laws, clearly something is wrong.
Failure to record an accurate picture of levels of racism not only inadvertently sends a message to victims that if they come forward their complaints will not be taken seriously, but also prevents an evidence-based approach to future policy and laws.
It is worth noting that through our own reporting systems, the Immigrant Council of Ireland recorded an 85 per cent increase in cases last year, while year-to-date figures for 2014 show a further increase of 55 per cent.
We are committed to continuing our work with partners across a range of sectors, including the Garda, to ensure the delivery of a robust reporting system which offers support and justice to victims and laws which are fit for purpose. – Yours, etc,
DENISE CHARLTON,
Chief Executive,
Immigrant Council
of Ireland,
Andrew Street,
Dublin 2.