Press release
Minister Humphreys publishes 2020 Annual Report of An Garda Síochána
Published on
Last updated on
Published on
Last updated on
The Minister for Justice, Heather Humphreys TD, has today published the 2020 Annual Report of An Garda Síochána.
Minister Humphreys said:
"Throughout 2020, An Garda Síochána played a key role in supporting the public health restrictions. For many people, the period marked a renewal of relationships with their local Gardaí and highlighted the key role which An Garda Síochána has in communities across the country.
"As the rules around the COVID-19 restrictions evolved, An Garda Síochána continued to support public health through the “4 E” phased approach of engaging, explaining, encouraging and, only as a last resort, enforcing.
"I know that this was not always easy and that the responsibilities which this brought created significant resource demands on the organisation, whilst continuing to tackle crime and support communities. I would personally like to thank Commissioner Harris and An Garda Síochána for the dedication and resolve they displayed during such challenging times."
This increased focus on community engagement included the launch of several operations to support public health and target increases in certain crimes during the COVID-19 pandemic; notably Operation Faoiseamh, which provided vital support and protection to victims of domestic abuse, and Operation Fanacht, which supported travel restrictions.
The Minister added:
"In recognising the vital work conducted by Gardaí under Operation Faoiseamh, we must also remember the continuing risks which victims face as society opens back up. I would continue to encourage anyone who has been a victim of sexual assault to come forward and report the incident to An Garda Síochána.
"The No Excuses campaign that my department is running highlights that, as a society, we all have a role to play in preventing sexual harassment and sexual violence. The campaign underpins the message that sexual violence and harassment will not be tolerated.
"Through Justice Plan 2021 and Supporting a Victim’s Journey, I am working to reform the criminal justice system at every point in which a victim comes into contact with it, and to help victims and vulnerable witnesses in sexual violence cases."
In addition to the response to COVID-19, there were a number of key achievements in 2020 as part of An Garda Síochána’s programme of reform under ‘A Policing Service for our Future’, the government’s implementation plan for the recommendations of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland.
Despite the challenges of the pandemic, notable progress in 2020 included:
The impact of the pandemic had a significant impact on patterns of crime with notable decreases in residential burglaries, robberies and assaults. There was however significant amounts of drugs, cash and firearms seized by Gardaí over the course of the year. This included the seizure of illicit drugs to the value of €36m, approximately €8m in cash, and a total of 23 firearms and 2,131 rounds of ammunition.
Other notable achievements noted in the annual report for 2020 include:
Work on the Schengen Information System (SIS II) continued throughout 2020 with the delivery of operation, technical and training elements in order for Ireland to successfully connect to SIS II in March 2021. SIS II is a centralised secure database used by European countries for maintaining information (alerts) related to border security and law enforcement and is a critical component of the open border policy that has been operating in Europe.