Sharp rise in burglaries in Cork City and north Cork

Sharp rises in burglaries were recorded in two of Cork’s three Garda divisions last year, despite a general reduction in overall crime levels in the nationwide.

Official crime figures show the Cork North and Cork City divisions saw some of the largest increases in burglaries anywhere in Ireland in 2015.

Figures published by the Central Statistics Office show there was a surge in burglaries in Cork City last year, with 864 break-ins to properties reported across the city’s 15 Garda stations — an increase of 136 crimes or 19% on 2014 figures.

Carrigaline, Mayfield, and the Bridewell Garda stations witnessed some of the biggest increases.

The Cork North division, which covers towns including Midleton, Fermoy, Cobh, Mallow, and Youghal, recorded the highest annual increase in burglaries of any of the 28 Garda divisions across the country last year.

Burglaries in the region soared by 29% — up 101 to 454 — at a time when the overall number of burglaries here dropped by 5%.

Notable increases in the incidence of burglaries occurred in Mallow, Youghal, and Fermoy during the year.

However, overall crime levels across the three Garda divisions in Cork fell by more than 3% last year, according to Garda figures, with decreases well ahead of the national average of 0.5%.

The Cork West division, which already has one of the lowest crime rates in the Republic, recorded the biggest fall in crime levels in Cork in 2015 with a 5.4% decrease in the number of reported offences.

The division, which covers towns including Macroom, Clonakilty, Bantry, and Bandon, had a total of 2,787 crimes last year — 158 fewer than in 2014.

Cork West also experienced a 24% reduction in the number of burglaries, with a notable drop in such offences in Bantry and Clonakilty, although there was a slight increase in Kinsale.

Figures published by the CSO, based on crimes recorded on the Garda Pulse system, show that overall crime levels in Cork North fell by 3.4% last year, aided by a 17% reduction in drug offences.

A 2.4% overall drop in recorded crime in Cork City was mostly linked to a decline in public order and criminal damage offences.