The quarterly crime figures show a further decrease in serious crime, with a reduction of 20 per cent in the number of murders. Carol Coulter, Legal Affairs Correspondent, reports.
The figures, for the quarter of 2004 ending in June, show a 10 per cent reduction compared with the same period last year, and a 7 per cent reduction for the first six months of the year, compared with those of 2003. When the 12 months to the end of June are taken over the two years, the reduction in headline crime figures is 4 per cent year-on-year. This confirms a trend already evident last year.
However, the Minister for Justice, Mr McDowell, warned against reading too much into these crime figures, describing them as only "a performance indicator of one aspect of our criminal justice system". He said he had established an expert group to examine crime statistics, and he published its report yesterday along with the crime figures.
Explaining the difficulties with the existing statistics, Mr McDowell said: "For instance, the overall gross headline crime rate makes no distinction between a murder and a shoplifting incident. Bicycle theft is headline, knife-carrying is not.
"In the area of drug-pushing, a sharp decline in detected offences may say very little about the prevalence of drugs in our society. The same applies to drug seizures. The drug figures reflect two variables: one, effectiveness of policing, and two, prevalence of the crime.
"Ultimately, the value of such statistics depends on their reliability and the use we make of them. As a performance indicator of one aspect of our criminal justice system, their value depends on how we use them to improve the quality of life and the protection of rights within our society."
The Minister particularly welcomed the reduction of 20 per cent in the number of murders committed in the three months up to June. "While reportage may give the opposite impression, Ireland has a lower homicide rate than many of our close neighbours," he said.
However, there was an increase in the number of firearms offences, with the number of instances of discharge of firearms up 71 per cent, and possession up 13 per cent. Mr McDowell said he was studying proposals for mandatory minimum sentences for serious firearms offences, to guide the judiciary.
The annual number of murders, which peaked in 2001 at 52, declined in 2003 to 46 and was 17 for the first six months of 2004. If this trend continues to the end of the year, the annual rate will be 34.
There was also a reduction in the number of assaults causing harm, of 19 per cent. The number of instances of possession of drugs for supply or sale fell by 30 per cent, though Mr McDowell said he had great difficulty in drawing comfort from these figures in the absence of any evidence of reduction in the amount of drug use.
There was also a drop in the total number of sexual offences of 20 per cent year-on-year, but this disguises a jump in the last three months of rape of a female and Section 4 rape (of a male or a female, and including rape with objects), which rose by 77 per cent and 33 per cent respectively.