Security Statistics (Hansard, 3 May 1977)

§ Mr. Mason

In addition to the information requested I am taking this opportunity to publish details of convictions obtained during 1976.

Following is the information:

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STATISTICS ON SECURITY

PART I—Statistics of Terrorist Activity

Yearly totals for 1970–76.

Quarterly total for first quarter of 1977.

Statistics for terrorist activity comprise the following:

(i) Number of shooting incidents;

(ii) Number of explosions;

(iii) Number of bombs and devices neutralised;

(iv) Weight of explosives in explosions and bombs neutralised;

(v) Number of malicious fires;

(vi) Number of armed robberies and amounts stolen;

(vii) Number of deaths and injuries of RUC/RUC "R": Army/UDR and civilians (including sectarian and interfactional assassinations).

PART II—Statistics of Security Forces' Activity

Yearly totals for 1970–76.

Quarterly totals for first quarter of 1977.

Statistics for Security Forces' activity comprise the following:

(i) Number of houses searched;

(ii) Number of weapons, pounds of explosives and rounds of ammunition found;

(iii) Number of people charged with serious security-type offences (murder, attempted murder, explosives offences, firearms offences, theft and offences related to the Security Situation (arson, membership of illegal organisations, etc.)).

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STATISTICS ON SECURITY—PART I
			Yearly figures	1977 Quarterly figures
			1970	1971	1972	1973	1974	1975	1976	January to March	April to June	July to September	October to December
Shooting incidents	…	…	213	1,756	10,628	5,018	3,206	1,803	1,908	331	—	—	—
Explosions	…	…	153	1,022	1,382	978	685	399	766	123	—	—	—
Bombs neutralised	…	…	17	493	471	542	428	236	426	71	—	—	—
Weight of Explosives (in lbs.)^*
In explosions	…	…	746	10,972	47,462	47,472	46,435	13,753	17,596	1,645	—	—	—
Neutralised	…	…	59	3,001	19,978	32,450	27,094	11,159	16,252	800	—	—	—
Malicious fires†	…	…	—	—	—	587	636	248	453	85	—	—	—
Armed Robberies†	…	…	—	437	1,931	1,215	1,231	1,201	889	183	—	—	—
Amount stolen	…	…	—	£303,787	£790,687	£612,015	£572,951	£572,105	£445,497	£46,536	—	—	—
Deaths: Civilians†	…	…	23	115	322	171	166	216	244	25	—	—	—
(Sectarian and interfactional assassinations† shown in brackets)					(122)	(87)	(95)	(144)	(121)	(17)
Deaths: Army/UDR	…	…	0	48	129	66	35	20	29	8	—	—	—
Deaths: RUC/RUC "R"	…	…	2	11	17	13	15	11	23	7	—	—	—
Injuries: Civilians†	…	…	—	1,800	3,813	1,812	1,680	2,044	2,162	206	—	—	—
Injuries: Army/UDR	…	…	620	390	578	548	483	167	266	52	—	—	—
Injuries: RUC/RUC "R"	…	…	191	317	466	291	235	263	206	22	—	—	—
^* Estimated weight only.
† Consolidated figures not available for earlier years.

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STATISTICS ON SECURITY—PART II
			Yearly figures	1977 Quarterly figures
			1970	1971	1972	1973	1974	1975	1976	January to March	April to June	July to September	October to December
Houses searched^*	…	…	3,107	17,262	36,617	74,556	74,914	30,002	34,919	5,481	—	—	—
Finds: Firearms	…	…	324	717	1,264	1,595	1,260	825	837	153	—	—	—
Finds: Ammunition (rounds)	…	…	43,095	157,944	183,410	187,399	147,202	73,604	70,306	10,270	—	—	—
Finds: Explosives (lbs.)	…	…	798	2,748	41,488	38,418	26,120	11,565	21,714	1,268	—	—	—
ICOS made	…	…	—	—	75	512	312	11	0	0	—	—	—

PERSONS CHARGED WITH SERIOUS SECURITY-TYPE OFFENCES†
								31st July to 31st December 1972	1973	1974	1975	1976	January to March 1977	April to June 1977	July to September 1977	October to December 1977
Murder	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	13	71	75	138	120	17	—	—	—
Attempted murder	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	16	85	75	88	211	41	—	—	—
Firearms offences	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	242	631	544	460	353	71	—	—	—
Explosives offences	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	86	236	161	100	215	32	—	—	—
Theft Act	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	111	186	232	314	188	42	—	—	—
Other	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	63	205	275	97	279	72	—	—	—
Total	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	531	1,414	1,362	1,197	1,276	275
^* Includes occupied and unoccupied houses searched.
† These figures are not available in consolidated form for earlier years.

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PERSONS CONVICTED AND SENTENCES IMPOSED AT BELFAST CITY COMMISSION DURING 1976

Notes on the table:

1. The offence classifications are based on those used by the Crown and Peace Office in its annual return.

2. Only persons convicted at the Belfast City Commission appear in the statistics. 1,027 people were arraigned on scheduled offences at the Belfast City Commission, of whom 963 were convicted. The table, therefore, covers all scheduled offences tried on indictment.

3. Some jury trials are included in cases where the Attorney-General certificated out of the scheduled mode of trial, for example, non-terrorist serious offences.

4. Where more than one statutory offence is included under one offence heading the maximum permitted sentence entry is for the most serious offence in the group.

5. Where a person has been convicted of more than one offence only the most serious or that which received the longest sentence is recorded in the statistics.

Offence	Number convicted	Non-custodial sentence	Less than 6 months	6 months and Less than 12 months	12 months and less than 18 months
Murder:
Number of persons	55	—	—	—	—
Attempted murder:
Number of persons	23	—	—	—	—
Conspiracy to murder:
Number of persons	2	—	—	—	—
Manslaughter:
Number of persons	12	—	—	—	—
Wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm:
Number of persons	12	—	—	—	—
Causing explosion:
Number of persons	38	1	—	—	—
Placing explosives:
Number of persons	14	4	—	—	—
Possessing explosives with intent:
Number of persons	46	2	—	—	—
Possessing firearm with intent:
Number of persons	91	13	—	—	—
Use of firearm to prevent arrest:
Number of persons	—	—	—	—	—
Causing grievous bodily harm:
Number of persons	8	4	—	1	—
Assault occasioning actual bodily harm:
Number of persons	8	6	1	—	—
Possessing a firearm:
Number of persons	118	51	—	—	2
Carrying a firearm with intent:
Number of persons	18	3	—	—	—
Intimidation:
Number of persons	2	2	—	—	—
Aggravated burglary:
Number of persons	21	—	—	—	1
Robbery:
Number of persons	238	30	—	—	1
Hi-jacking:
Number of persons	25	6	—	—	5
Arson—Setting fire to a building:
Number of persons	2	2	—	—	—
Other arson:
Number of persons	39	22	—	—	2
Malicious damage:
Number of persons	12	9	—	1	—
Explosives offences:
Number of persons	1	—	—	—	—
Petrol bomb offence:
Number of persons	17	7	—	—	1
Riot:
Number of persons	1	—	—	—	1
Other offences against the State:
Number of persons	—	—	—	—	—
Escapes and attempts to escape:
Number of persons	16	1	—	2	—
Assisting escape:
Number of persons	—	—	—	—	—

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Offence	Number convicted	Non-custodial sentence	Less than 6 months	6 months and Less than 12 months	12 months and less than 18 months
Assisting offenders:
Number of persons	8	3	—	—	—
Other major firearms offences:
Number of persons	62	23	—	1	3
Minor firearms offences:
Number of persons	15	8	—	1	2
Membership of illegal organisation:
Number of persons	31	16	1	—	—
Unlawful collection of information:
Number of persons	15	8	—	—	1
Illegal training:
Number of persons	3	3	—	—	—
Kidnapping and false imprisonment:
Number of persons	10	—	—	—	—
Totals	963	224	2	6	19

Offence	18 months and less than 2 years	2 years and less than 3 years	3 years and less than 4 years	4 years and less than 5 years	5 years and less than 7 years
Murder:
Number of persons	—	—	—	—	—
Attempted murder:
Number of persons	—	—	—	—	—
Conspiracy to murder:
Number of persons	—	—	—	—	—
Manslaughter:
Number of persons	—	1	1	1	1
Wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm:
Number of persons	—	—	4	—	—
Causing explosion:
Number of persons	—	—	—	—	4
Placing explosives:
Number of persons	—	3	4	—	2
Possessing explosives with intent:
Number of persons	—	2	—	2	1
Possessing firearm with intent:
Number of persons	—	1	2	9	17
Use of firearm to prevent arrest:
Number of persons	—	—	—	—	—
Causing grievous bodily harm:
Number of persons	1	—	—	—	2
Assault occasioning actual bodily harm:
Number of persons	—	—	—	—	—
Possessing a firearm:
Number of persons	5	16	13	13	9
Carrying a firearm with intent:
Number of persons	—	1	2	2	6
Intimidation:
Number of persons	—	—	—	—	—
Aggravated burglary:
Number of persons	—	—	3	3	3
Robbery:
Number of persons	—	6	9	17	49
Hi-jacking:
Number of persons	1	1	3	—	5
Arson—Setting fire to a building:
Number of persons	—	—	—	—	—
Other arson:
Number of persons	—	1	3	—	2
Malicious damage:
Number of persons	—	—	—	—	—
Explosives offences:
Number of persons	—	—	—	1	—

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Offence	18 months and less than 2 years	2 years and less than 3 years	3 years and less than 4 years	4 years and less than 5 years	5 years and less than 7 years
Petrol bomb offence:
Number of persons	2	—	—	1	—
Riot:
Number of persons	—	—	—	—	—
Other offences against the State:
Number of persons	—	—	—	—	—
Escapes and attempts to escape:
Number of persons	2	8	1	—	1
Assisting escape:
Number of persons	—	—	—	—	—
Assisting offenders:
Number of persons	3	—	1	—	—
Other major firearms offences:
Number of persons	2	3	11	1	9
Minor firearms offences:
Number of persons	2	—	2	—	—
Membership of illegal organisation:
Number of persons	—	3	5	2	—
Unlawful collection of information:
Number of persons	—	3	3	—	—
Illegal training:
Number of persons	—	—	—	—	—
Kidnapping and false imprisonment:
Number of persons	2	—	1	—	6
Totals	20	49	68	52	117

Offence	7 years and less than 10 years	10 years and over	Life	Borstal or training school	Maximum permitted sentence for offence
Murder:
Number of persons	—	—	55	—	Mandatory Life
Attempted murder:
Number of persons	—	21	1	1	Life
Conspiracy to murder:
Number of persons	—	2	—	—	10
Manslaughter:
Number of persons	—	7	1	—	Life
Wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm:
Number of persons	3	5	—	—	Life
Causing explosion:
Number of persons	5	28	—	—	Life
Placing explosives:
Number of persons	1	—	—	—	20
Possessing explosives with intent:
Number of persons	9	30	—	—	20
Possessing firearm with intent:
Number of persons	19	23	—	7	Life
Use of firearm to prevent arrest:
Number of persons	—	—	—	—	Life
Causing grievous bodily harm:
Number of persons	—	—	—	—	5
Assault occasioning actual bodily harm:
Number of persons	—	—	—	1	5
Possessing a firearm:
Number of persons	—	—	—	9	14
Carrying a firearm with intent:
Number of persons	1	2	—	1	14
Intimidation:
Number of persons	—	—	—	—	5
Aggravated burglary:
Number of persons	—	9	—	2	Life

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Offence	7 years and less than 10 years	10 years and over	Life	Borstal or training school	Maximum permitted sentence for offence
Robbery:
Number of persons	70	25	—	31	Life
Hi-jacking:
Number of persons	1	—	—	3	15
Arson—Setting fire to a building:
Number of persons	—	—	—	—	Life
Other arson:
Number of persons	1	1	—	7	Life
Malicious damage:
Number of persons	—	—	—	2	2
Explosives offences:
Number of persons	—	—	—	—	Life
Petrol bomb offence:
Number of persons	1	—	—	5	10
Riot:
Number of persons	—	—	—	—	—
Other offences against the State:
Number of persons	—	—	—	—	—
Escapes and attempts to escape:
Number of persons	—	—	—	1	7
Assisting escape:
Number of persons	—	—	—	—	7
Assisting offenders:
Number of persons	1	—	—	—	7
Other major firearms offences:
Number of persons	—	3	—	6	10
Minor firearms offences:
Number of persons		—	—	—	3
Membership of illegal organisation:
Number of persons	—	—	—	4	5
Unlawful collection of information:
Number of persons	—	—	—	—	5
Illegal training:
Number of persons	—	—	—	—	5
Kidnapping and false imprisonment:
Number of persons	—	1	—	—	Life
Totals	112	157	57	80