‘Crackdown on gangs behind 9% drop in break-ins’

A Garda crackdown on travelling burglary gangs is being credited with a 9% drop in break-ins over the last year.

Figures from the Central Statistics Office show that burglary offences were among 12 of 14 crime categories reporting a fall in recorded offences in the year ending last March.

Other categories with fewer crimes include homicides, sexual assaults, assaults, robberies, drug offences, weapons offences and public order.

Kidnappings was the only category of crime to experience a rise. Overall theft offences remained unchanged, but included a sharp rise in theft from the person.

Individual crimes within categories that rose include manslaughter, robbery from the person, blackmail and extortion, possession of an article with intent to burgle, drug importation and explosive offences.

Figures for recorded crimes to the end of the first quarter of 2013, compared to the same period the previous year, show:

- Homicides offences are down 4% (from 68 to 65), including a 12% drop in murders (from 49 to 43)

- Sexual offences fell by 7% (from 2,047 to 1,907), including falls in sexual assaults but the number of rapes was the same.

- Assaults are down 12%, including a 33% drop in threats of murder

- Dangerous acts — mainly drink driving — were down 12% (from 16,705 to 14,721)

- Kidnappings rose 6%, including a 16% jump in false imprisonment

- Robberies are down 4% (from 2,915 to 2,802), including large falls in bank and cash-in-transit raids, but including a small rise in robberies from the person and a 72% jump in extortion and blackmail.

- Burglaries have fallen by 9%, including a 12% drop in aggravated burglaries and a 13% rise in people caught in possession of an article with intent to burgle

- Thefts remain unchanged at around 76,000 recorded crimes, including a drop in thefts from cars but a 39% jump in thefts from the person

Justice Minister Alan Shatter welcomed the overall reduction of 8% in the total number of crimes. Mr Shatter and Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan said Operation Fiacla, which targets burglary gangs, had resulted in the 9% fall in burglaries and a 13% rise in incidents catching those intent of burglaries.

Mr Shatter said 5,233 people have been arrested and 2,903 charged under the national operation, which was introduced in February 2012.

Mr Callinan said the reduction in crimes such as burglaries, assaults, weapons and public order were particularly welcome.

“These reductions have a direct impact on the quality of life of people around the country,” Mr Callinan said.

- cso.ie