The Garda Inspectorate report published yesterday uncovered “serious systemic weaknesses” in An Garda Síochána, as well as serious failures in the recording and classification of crimes.

Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald says the report “raises serious concerns.”

The 500 page report has also expressed serious concerns about the operational and support structure of Ireland's police force and “found a police service in critical need of modernisation of its crime investigation operational and support infrastructure.”

“The Inspectorate report raises serious concerns and represents a highly challenging analysis of Garda processes and systems, highlights serious systemic weaknesses; and will inform my ongoing reform of policing in Ireland,” Ms Fitzgerald said.

The report makes more than 200 significant recommendations “to ensure that crime investigation in the Garda Síochána is in line with, and can exceed best international practice.” The report notes that some of these recommendations have been made in previous inspectorate reports, “but haven’t been fully implemented.”

The Chief Inspector of the Garda Inspectorate says it's time for the culture of "who you know" inside the Gardai to change, but it won't happen overnight.

Robert Olson told Breakfast the Garda Síochána needs to return to independence, but that will take leadership from the force itself and the Department of Justice.

He says major investment in technology and training is urgently needed after a lack of investment in recent years.

Read the full report here

The report identifies many deficiencies in systems and practices. These include:

• Serious failures in the recording, classification and reclassification of crime incidents
• Inconsistencies in the claiming of detections
• A lack of oversight of the decision making process
• No standardised crime management process for reviewing, allocating and monitoring of investigations and ensuring each investigation is effective
• An absence of intrusive supervision of crime investigations
• Inexperienced gardaí investigating serious crimes
• A new roster that does not adequately support the investigative process
• Concerns over the timeliness of investigations
• Inconsistent approach to updating victims of crime
• Foundation training provided pre-2014 for investigating crime does not adequately equip gardaí for the task
• Lack of IT and equipment to support the investigation of crime
• Deficiencies in offender management practices particularly in the taking of fingerprints.

Chief Inspector Robert Olson said while many areas of good practice had also been identified in different garda divisions and in different parts of the county, including the new Community Policing Model, they were not consistent across the force.

"Throughout the country, we found committed and dedicated people, and we found many elements of good practice," he said.

"But we also found that these elements of good practice are not being shared or employed across the country.

"In any organisation of this size, you must ensure that good practice is consistently observed. That requires strong leadership, strong supervision, and strong governance

The report finds that there are roughly 700 untrained detectives in the force and whereas in other policing jurisdictions serious crimes – such as rape, child abuse or aggravated burglary - would typically be investigated by trained detectives or specialist investigative units, in many areas of Ireland the persons chosen to investigate these offences is “determined by who is available, rather than who has the skills or experience to investigate a particular crime.”

The report has found that historically the evolution of investigation of crime in Ireland was not holistic, but driven by “the crisis of the day.” The report says this is no longer sufficient, and “today’s policing environment needs a much more comprehensive solution.”

Some of the key recommendations in the report:

• Implement a new divisional model of delivering policing services including detective resources
• Procure a Computer Aided Dispatch system (CAD) that accurately records calls for service and efficiently uses available resources
• Develop a new national crime investigation/records management system
• In the interim, take actions to improve the use of the PULSE incident recording system
• Designate the Garda Information Service Centre (GISC) as the final decision maker in the classification of crime and for ensuring that detections are correctly recorded
• Establish a crime management unit model on a divisional basis and include a system of Dedicated Decision Makers to decide on the classification of crime and approving the detection of a PULSE incident record
• Develop new Crime Counting Rules for both recording and detecting crime in which the Central Statistics Office should have a central role
• Introduce National Incident and Crime Recording Standards
• Appoint a Force Crime Registrar with responsibility for accuracy and integrity of the recording of incidents and detections
• Develop major incident investigation teams to investigate murders and other specified serious crimes
• Implement systems to improve the quality of supervision of crime investigation
• Improve the service and information provided to victims of crime
• Develop and implement a technology based custody system
• Improve investigative skills for gathering best evidence
• Examine the whole process of fingerprinting and managing of persons detained in custody
• Develop Standard Operating Procedures for the management of warrants and bail

“Many of our recommendations depend on the acquisition of modern technology used by most international police services,” said Chief Inspector Olson. “This technology can provide the modern tools the Garda Síochána needs to inform more efficient and effective operational decisions. Technology cannot, however, take the place of strong management practices, strong supervision and strong governance in the investigation of crime”.

A statement from the Garda Press Office said: "The Garda Inspectorate’s latest report is a highly detailed and extensive document with a large number of recommendations.

“An Garda Síochána agrees with the broad principles contained in the report and will work closely with the Inspectorate and all other stakeholders to improve our processes, systems and practices as quickly as possible.

“An Garda Síochána handles almost 1 million incidents a year, the vast majority of which are successfully concluded.

“However, the report has identified a number of weaknesses in our systems and processes, and a lack of consistency and standardisation."

VIDEO: Chief Inspector Robert Olson at publication of report

Originally published: 17.08