Burglaries on increase as drug offences fall

CRIME STATISTICS:THERE HAS been an increase in burglary offences during the first three months of this year compared to the same period last year, new figures show.

The latest crime figures from the Central Statistics Office also point to increases in theft, fraud and public order.

Overall however, there has been a marked drop in most categories of recorded crime during the first quarter of 2011 compared to the same period in 2010.

The biggest decrease is in sexual offences (–40 per cent), homicides ( –20 per cent) and drug offences (–12 per cent).

Minister for Justice Alan Shatter yesterday welcomed the figures which he said showed the result of Garda strategies to combat crime.

“They also reflect the challenges which An Garda Síochána and our society face in the time ahead. The task now is to ensure that the resources which are available – and which are still significant – continue to be used as creatively and effectively as possible,” he said.

The main increases in crime were in burglary (+8.5 per cent), theft (+5 per cent), fraud (+4 per cent) and public order offences (+1 per cent).

On the increase in burglaries, Mr Shatter said he was “well aware of the misery which burglaries can cause” and has been assured that Garda management were reviewing strategies to tackle the problem.

He said he believed that the Government’s commitment to increase community policing would be of particular importance in deterring such crime.

When the figures are broken down, there are interesting trends relating to the shifting patterns of crime. While drug offences overall are down, a detailed table of the figures shows a spike in the use of “grow houses” or the cultivation of drugs (+54 per cent).

Similarly, while robbery and hijacking are down by 3 per cent, a breakdown of the figures shows that the robbery of cash or goods in transit increased by some 60 per cent, while “car jacking” is up 20 per cent.

CSO officials caution against reading too much into a dramatic drop in the number of sexual offences (-40 per cent).

There was a dramatic rise in the number of sexual offences in 2010 due to an ongoing review of all cases involving alleged sexual offences. While some of these offences occurred some time ago, they were reclassified and re-entered as new offences last year.

Mr Shatter said yesterday the Government would undertake a number of initiatives to help boost the powers of the Garda in fighting crime.

He said a DNA database would be established to help in the investigation of serious crimes, while he also plans new legislation to strengthen the power of the Criminal Assets Bureau to forfeit the proceeds of crime.

In addition, Mr Shatter pledged that gardaí would be freed up for frontline policing by ensuring that administrative duties were carried out by civilian staff and ensuring that members of the force were not unnecessarily detained in the courts.

He said a new national anti-crime strategy was being prepared which would act as a road map in tackling crime well into the future.

“I want to make sure that we, as a community, are best placed to deal with the problem of crime in all its manifestations – not just the challenges we face now, but those likely to emerge in the coming years,” Mr Shatter said.