Thefts on the rise: Shoplifters getting 'more aggressive' with staff 

Garda assistant commissioner for Dublin, Angela Willis, said on Monday that there was "more aggression" among shoplifters. Picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins Photos

People are experiencing increased threats from robberies, blackmail, and thefts, new figures show.

The Central Statistics Office (CSO) figures, which compared 2023 to 2022, come as a senior garda says there is “more aggression” among people shoplifting. 

The data shows a significant rise in assaults of women over the age of 60, and a smaller increase among men of the same age, in contrast to reduced assaults among other age groups.

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The statistics also record a significant increase in drug importation — reflecting the major cocaine trafficking operations — and drug dealing.

In addition, there has been a noticeable rise in shootings, explosive offences, and possession of offensive weapons including knives.

On the positive side, the number of murders is down dramatically.

The statistics show:

• Robberies are up 26% to 2,601, including a 54% jump in blackmail or extortion and a 19% increase in robberies from the person, which involve violence or the threat of violence;
• Thefts are up 12% to 74,144, including a 42% hike in reported thefts from the person, a 23% rise in theft/taking of vehicles, and a 14% increase in theft from shops;
• Assaults remain largely unchanged and included a 2% rise in minor assaults, a 5% increase in harassment, and an 8% increase in attempted murders, but an 8% drop in serious assaults and a 5% fall in threats to kill;
• Drug offences remained unchanged, but included a 53% rise in the importation of drugs and a 17% increase in drug dealing, with a 5% drop in drug possession;
• Weapons offences increased by 5%, including a 19% rise in explosive offences, an 18% increase in discharge of a firearm, and a 3% rise in possession of offensive weapons, which includes knives and batons; 
• Damage to property increased by 3% to 22,377, including an 11% rise in arson.

The Garda assistant commissioner for Dublin, Angela Willis, said on Monday that there was "more aggression" among shoplifters, while Retail Excellence Ireland said the rise in shoplifting did not take into account the effect that "daily instances of antisocial behaviour" in shops was having on staff and customers.

The CSO statistics show a significant decrease in homicide offences, from 80 to 65, driven by a 25% reduction in murders, from 44 to 33.

The Garda Southern Region bucked the national trend and recorded a 17% rise in homicide offences.

The Southern Region also saw the greatest increase in kidnapping offences, weapons offences, and damage to property offences in 2023.

There was also an 11% drop in recorded sexual offences, including a 13% reduction in aggravated sexual assault, an 8% decrease in sexual assault, and an 4% drop in rape.

Gardaí and rape crisis groups have cautioned about interpreting fluctuations in recorded sexual offences, saying it can represent both the extent to which crimes are reported and trends in actual occurrence.

The figures show burglary offences remained largely unchanged in 2023.

The report shows that unlike reductions in assaults in most age groups, there was a 12% increase in assaults among females aged 60 and older and a 5% rise among men of the same age group.