EU survey

Dave Joyce

I haven't been able to post a lot recently (mind you that should keep some people happy:)) as my family and myself have been away on holiday and came back to bedlem with lots of work.

Anyway the day we were leaving (August 28th) I noticed on the news and in papers that the EU had commissioned a survey (random telephone calls) in EU countries on crime and lo and behold Ireland was placed something like second/third place in relation to been a victim of crime and would you believe assault was very high on the list. Now I don't for one minute think that law and order is breaking down and we all need to batten down the hatches, but I really wonder if all those people they surveyed in Ireland spoofed/exaggerated, hung out with scumbags or frequented the most dire, desperate of places or maybe, just maybe there is some sort of crime level (APART FROM THE PUB/CLUB PUNCH-UPS) out there.

Some politico also on the same day was going on about McDowell's amnesty for guns and knives and said it was badly needed with "the amount of stabbings" that going on in the country. I suppose he's just badly informed.

Scramble

The interesting thing, to me, about this survey is that it measured respondent's perceptions of crime levels (based on telephone conversations) rather than being based on statistics from either Gardai or from the courts system.

So, in effect, it established that Irish people are among the most concerned in Europe about their crime rates. The irony being, of course, that according to figures from the Government we continue to enjoy some of the lowest violent crime rates in Western Europe (even if some types are on the rise).

I'd suggest that the findings of this report are certainly worrying, but mostly not in the sense you mean. They reflect the impact of sensationalist media "if it bleeds, it leads" strategies.

Colm_OReilly

Any links to the survey?

Clive

From Gallup:

The EU ICS report is not released yet. It is currrently under assessment by the European Commission.

We regret that some media have recently disseminated results from a non-approved report.

pma-ire

Anyone who thinks that the reports the government releases are total is living in a wonderland!

The majority of violence related crime is not reported! A better way to get correct levels is to take a trip down to the local A&E for a week!!

Clive

I believe that was one of the purposes of the report, to contact people directly and ask them if they have been a victim of crime, and if they reported it.

pma-ire

Clive wrote:

I believe that was one of the purposes of the report, to contact people directly and ask them if they have been a victim of crime, and if they reported it.

So you agree with me then!!