Rise in level of kidnappings and abductions while overall crime level falls

New crime statistics show increases in the number of kidnappings and thefts increased amid calls for greater garda resources.

The figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) indicated falls across 11 crime categories, including big decreases in public order, negligent acts and fraud, in the year to the end of December 2013.

The figures were published just days after the CSO published a review of five years of crime statistics that indicated an increase in the level of kidnappings, robberies, burglaries, extortion and hijacking.

That report covered the period to the end of 2012 and yesterday’s new figures showed kidnapping and related offences increased by 17.8% to the end of last year compared with figures for 2012, mostly driven by a rise in false imprisonment and child abduction cases.

Theft and related offences rose by 3.3%, while there was one more homicide offence last year than in 2012, meaning a percentage rise of 1.3%.

Regarding the increased homicide figure, the CSO said: “In 2013, there were 55 recorded murder and manslaughter offences, a decrease of five on 2012. However, dangerous driving leading to death offences rose from 19 to 25 in the same period.”

Fianna Fáil’s spokesperson on justice, Niall Collins, said the increase in the number of kidnappings and thefts highlighted what he claimed was Justice Minister Alan Shatter’s “slash and burn” approach to community policing.

Deputy Collins said: “The Justice Minister Alan Shatter has completely undermined community policing through his slash and burn of local garda stations, his decision to shut down specialised garda units in certain districts, his failure to properly address major gaps in the garda fleet, his failure to replace key garda posts, and his decision to delay the reopening of the garda training college at Templemore. There is no doubt that all of this has had an impact on crime levels.”

According to the latest figures, weapons and explosives offences fell by almost 10% and drug offences fell by 6.4% last year. As for sexual assaults, the number of offences in almost all categories fell last year compared with figures for 2012, apart from non-aggravated sexual assault, which was up 4%.

The considerable drop in the number of negligent acts was mostly due to decreases in offences linked to driving/in charge of a vehicle while over legal alcohol limit fell from 8,254 in 2012 to 6,927 last year.

While there were 2,000 fewer burglaries recorded last year, 26,115 burglary and related offences were still recorded in 2013 — more than 70 every day.

Similarly, there were approximately 84 disorderly conduct offences a day in 2013, but overall thenumber of those offences fell from 37,359 in 2012 to 30,789 last year.

The regional breakdown shows that the Dublin Metropolitan Area typically had the highest levels of recorded crime, although the southern area had the biggest increase in robbery, extortion and hijacking offences and the second largest drop in public order and similar offences.

Acting Garda Commissioner Noirín O’Sullivan said the figures were “heartening” but warned against complacency, adding that Operation Fiacla had been effective in countering burglary offences around the country.