Satisfaction levels with local Gardai have risen by 6.1 per cent in the past year, according to a survey published by An Garda Siochana this week.
The 2008 Garda Public Attitudes Survey, which focuses on satisfaction with Garda services and experience and fear of crime, found that satisfaction levels in the Longford/ Westmeath Garda division increased from 78.8 per cent in 2007 to 84.9 per cent in 2008.
Just 4 per cent of those questioned this year said they were ‘very dissatisfied’ with Garda service to the community, while 12 per cent described themselves as ‘dissatisfied’.
The 2008 figure for Longford/ Westmeath surpasses the average satisfaction level in the country which stands at 81 per cent. The increase was one of the largest increases in satisfaction levels nationally.
However, satisfaction with overall contact with the Garda Siochana and the local Garda division fell slightly, with 78.1 per cent satisfied compared to 79.8 per cent last year.
Longford/Westmeath Gardai fell down when it came to the numbers of people who considered local Gardai to be approachable. A mere 20 per cent of local respondents described Gardai as ‘very approachable’, the lowest figure of the country’s divisions. However only 1 per cent described Gardai as ‘very unapproachable’. There was also a significant decrease in those claiming that a garda had ever behaved towards them in a way they considered unacceptable, from 6.3 per cent in 2007 to 2.7 per cent this year.
Gardai were considered to be sufficiently visible in the locality by 67.4 of Longford/ Westmeath respondents, a figure which was just above the national average. Seventy-eight per cent reported feeling safe while out walking after dark, while 80 per cent said they felt safe home alone at night.
Also on the positive side, some of the largest decreases in fear of crime, or worry about a family or friend becoming a victim of crime, were registered in the Longford/ Westmeath division.
