Police performances

Fifteen of the 25 police performance targets were missed by the PSNI in the last financial year. Meadhbh Monahan reports.

The Policing Board’s annual report, has indicated its concern at the failure of the PSNI to meet over half of its targets.

Targets are set out by the board in accordance with the annual policing plan, taking into account the Secretary of State’s policing objectives set during direct rule, district policing partnership priorities and national policing targets. The performances in 2009-2010 were compared with those in 2008-2009.

The number of more serious violent crimes increased by 18.3 per cent (up from 2,001 to 2,367) rather than being reduced as the target had stipulated. This category includes murder, manslaughter, causing death by dangerous driving and using firearms or explosives to endanger life. However there were fewer murders (18) in 2009-2010 than in any 12-month period since 1970.

There were 412 more offences against the person, 110 more burglaries, 364 more thefts and 83 more offences against the state. Criminal damage was down by 1,971 cases, and fraud and forgery was down by 237 cases.

The target to ensure that domestic burglaries were reduced by 9.2 per cent was not met; because they were only down by 81 or 1.1 per cent.

Officer sick days stood at 8.19 days and therefore were not reduced enough to meet the target of five days.

The target of 80 per cent of indictable reported cases being processed within administration time limits was not met as the figure stood at 67.4 per cent. The target of 70 per cent of summary reported cases being processed, was missed by 3 per cent.

Three children were killed on the roads compared to six the previous year but 107 children were seriously injured, compared to 96. Overall, this was a slight increase of eight children who were killed or seriously injured on the road.

Three targets were failed in relation to the public’s confidence in the police:

• Increasing the amount of people who say they feel safe to 93 per cent (result 88 per cent);
• Increasing the amount of people who are confident in the Police Service’s ability to provide day-to-day policing to 86 per cent (result 80 per cent);
• Increasing the amount of people who think that the police are doing a good job in their area to 62 per cent (result 56 per cent).

The results for these targets are gathered through the Northern Ireland Omnibus Survey, whereby a random sample of 2,200 addresses is drawn from the Land and Property Services Agency list.

The overall clearance rate increased by 2.8 per cent, just marginally missing the 3 per cent target, and the national minimum standard of 90 per cent of 999 calls answered in 10 seconds was missed. The PSNI did, however, meet the 30 second target.

Clearance rates for race-related and sectarian crimes increased by 3.7 per cent and 1.7 per cent respectively but there was a 2.8 per cent decrease in clearing homophobic crimes.

Other success came in the dealing with drug supply crime gangs with 70 “frustrated”, 25 “disrupted” and seven “dismantled” in the last financial year. In practice, frustrated means one or more significant arrest (of a major importer or local strategic dealer), or drugs seizure, or seizure of assets. Disrupted means one or more significant arrest, and drugs seizure, and seizure of assets. Dismantled refers to one or more significant seizure, and two or more significant arrests, and seizure of assets.

Cocaine accounted for the highest quantity of seizures and increased slightly from 24.2 kilograms to 27.5 kilograms. Arrests for drugs-related offences increased from 2,014 to 2,250 (up 11.7 per cent).

The PSNI records its crimes and detections in accordance with the Home Office counting rules and the National Crime Recording Standard. This approach is based on the victim’s perception of a crime taking place, rather than ensuring that the police obtain evidence of the crime occurring.

Chief Constable Matt Baggott commented: “Our approach to tackling these issues will remain a key policing priority.” He claimed that dissident republican activity has impacted on police performance, and said that, by working closely with An Garda Síochána and the Security Service, “we remain committed to tackling the dissident terrorist threat. Without this threat, we could concentrate our resources on reducing crime levels further.”