Sex crimes, assaults, property crime up

Recorded sexual offences, assaults, and property crimes rose sharply last year, according to Garda figures.

The rise over the full year in assaults and sexual crimes have been greatest in the Southern region, with a jump of 40% in the latter.

In the last three months, the rise in reported sexual offences has been even greater, with the greatest jumps in the Northern Region and the Dublin Region.

The Garda data is the only provisional statistics available on crime following the decision by the Central Statistics Office to defer publication of official crime statistics because of concerns over garda homicide figures.

The information is supplied by the garda commissioner to the Policing Authority. A breakdown of the figures show:

• Recorded property crime rose 7% nationally in 2017, including a 15% jump in the Eastern Region and a 12% rise in the Southern Region;
• Recorded sexual offences surged by 16% nationally, with a 43% hike in the Southern Region and a 26% rise in the South Eastern Region;
• Recorded crimes against the person (assaults and robbery) jumped by 12% nationally, including a 17% increase in the Southern Region and a 14% rise in the Eastern Region;
• Recorded criminal damage up 5%, including a 14% jump in the Eastern Region and a 12% rise in the Western Region;
• Recorded public order offences up 5%, with a 17% hike in the Dublin Region and an 8% rise in the South Eastern Region.

The report, compiled by the acting Garda Commissioner, Dónal Ó Cualáin, noted that the 7% rise in property crime in 2016 was reflected across “all regions”, as was the 12% rise in crimes against the person.

The report said minor assault and assault causing harm were the “main drivers” of the rising trend in crimes against the person.

When looking at the last three months of the year, compared to the same period in 2016, the report found a 5% rise in recorded property crime (lower than the 7% annual rise).

The biggest reductions were in the Eastern Region and the Dublin Region, but the Southern Region witnessed a higher increase (15%, compared to 12% for the year).

Recorded sexual offences were higher in the last three months nationally compared to the full year (22% up, compared to 16%).

In the Southern Region the figure was up 52% (compared to 43%), with the biggest increases in Dublin (25% up, compared to 10%) and the Northern Region (27% up, compared to 9%).

Also in the last three months, crimes against the person saw a smaller increase than the year’s average (10%, compared to 12%). That was driven by reductions in Dublin and the Southern Region.

At the public meeting between the garda commissioner and the Policing Authority last Thursday it was unclear when exactly the various issues surrounding homicide statistics would be cleared up in order for the CSO to resume publication, but it could happen later in the year.