Cork businesses hail 'huge difference' as garda patrols boost crime detections

Cork Business Association (CBA) director Cliona Barnes said: 'The increase in crime detections reflects the positive impact of the additional garda resources allocated to Cork City at the end of 2025.' File picture

A 20% increase in the detection of crimes in Cork City has been hailed by the business community as proof that additional on-street gardaí are making a huge difference.

Crime data for the first three months of this year, released by the CSO, shows a sharp rise in garda detections for disorderly conduct, possession of drugs, and theft.

At the end of November last year, some 48 gardaí were newly allocated to Cork, and began patrolling 11 high-visibility beats across the city.

The CSO data shows there has been a 74% increase in detections of controlled drug offences, including possession of drugs for sale or supply and for personal use, in the first three months of 2026 compared to the same period in 2025.

Public order offences are up 35%, with 593 detections this year compared to 439 in the same period in 2025. 

Incidents recorded under the category of assaults, harassments, attempts/threats to murder, and related offences are up 27%.

There was also an increase of 110% in detections of robbery, extortion and hijacking offences, 20% in burglary and related offences and another 20% in theft and related offences.

Within these categories, detections of robbery from the person are up 56% and thefts from shops up 20%, with 608 detections at the start of 2025 and 735 at the start of 2026.

Cork Business Association (CBA) director Cliona Barnes said: “The increase in crime detections reflects the positive impact of the additional garda resources allocated to Cork City at the end of 2025.

“CBA has long advocated for an increased garda presence in the city centre, and our members are seeing and appreciating the difference it is making.

“With more Gardaí visible on our streets, Cork City feels safer and more welcoming, giving businesses, employees, residents and visitors greater confidence that offences are being detected and addressed.

“It is essential that this level of resourcing is maintained.”

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Alan Coakley, owner of Republic Of Oud perfume store in Winthrop Arcade, said: “We’re a new business, we’ll be celebrating one year at the end of this month.

“When we were preparing to open, there was this doom and gloom around the city, people saying ‘my mother wouldn’t come into town’, now we see lots of elderly people, which means they have the confidence to come in.

“Our experience has been very positive, the gardaí are very helpful, and their presence is being felt, there’s high visibility, and I’m hearing from other retailers that it’s very much improved compared to what it was like before.”

However, public representatives in the suburbs have said the high-visibility policing in the city centre has simply pushed problems out to the suburbs.

Labour councillor Peter Horgan said more resources were needed in Douglas, Blackrock and the wider south-east suburbs.

He said: “People want to see more community gardaí on the streets, greater visibility around village centres, parks and schools, and enough allocations to open Douglas and Blackrock stations on a regular basis.”