GARDAI are winning the war against rural and urban crime, a conference was told yesterday. Addressing the Local Authority Members Association conference in Kenmare, Chief Supt Noel O'Sullivan of Garda Headquarters said the annual crime detection rate had improved from 33.1 per cent in 1990 to nearly 39 per cent in 1995. A key factor was the response from the public, he added.
The number of attacks on the elderly, which were more than 400 in 1984, were down to 100 for last year. The number of raids on banks, post offices, building societies and credit unions had also been considerably reduced.
Mr O'Sullivan said the crime rate in the Republic is lower than any other European country, with Sweden the highest. "An interesting factor is that when the gross national product of a country goes up, so also does crime," he said.
Mr O'Sullivan said the cost of policing in the Republic is 36p per head of population per day.
The Force was delighted with the success of new anti-crime agencies, including the Criminal Assets Bureau, in targeting criminals and proceeds from crime.