Murder rate down, robberies and extortion up

Murder and homicide offences are down massively compared to this time last year, and there have been increases in other crime categories according to latest statistics.

Central Statistics Office (CSO) crime figures show a decrease of around 36 per cent in total homicide offences for the 12 months up to the third quarter of 2015, down from the same period in 2014, and murder rates have fallen by almost 50 per cent.

Overall 54 homicides were recorded between October 1st, 2014, and September 30th, 2015, compared to 84 over the previous 12 months, and murder cases dropped from 57 to 30.

The latest release by the CSO is mixed, with increases in sexual offences, assaults and attempts to murder, but incidents of robbery and weapons offences were less frequent.

Sexual offences including rape and sexual assault, of which there were 2,262, were up 14 per cent, with a similar increase in assaults, harassments and attempts/threats to murder (16,655), while the rate of robberies, extortion and hijacking (2,554) fell by nine per cent and there were 189 less weapons offences over the last year period.

There were almost 78,000 incidents of theft and related offences, up 952 from the previous 12 months, and it remains the most commonly recorded offence.

Researchers say a 10 per cent rise in the number of offences against Government (10,554) was largely driven by an increase in the number of offences committed while in custody and breaches of court orders.

More than a third of homicide offences were committed in Dublin, with the capital accounting for the largest proportion of all crime categories.

Third quarter statistics were released on time this year following delays to the release of figures for the second half of 2014 and the first quarter of 2015 due to concerns over possible under-reporting of crime by An Garda Síochána.