Crime stats: Robbery, extortion and hijacking offences rise by 18%

CSO figures show fall in number of recorded sexual offences and homicides 

More than two out of every five theft offences recorded were from shops.

There was an 18% increase in the number of incidents of robbery, extortion, and hijacking recorded by gardaí in the first three months of this year compared to last year, according to new figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO).

Robbery, Weapons, Theft and Fraud crimes rose in the year to Quarter 1 2024https://t.co/yPfSJaXOmm#CSOIreland #Ireland #Crime #RecordedCrime #CrimeStatistics #CrimeStats pic.twitter.com/Kq9KOtkRsW

— 🎄Central Statistics Office Ireland (@CSOIreland) June 26, 2024

The increase, the CSO says, was driven mostly by a 49% rise in incidents of blackmail or extortion and robbery from the person offences.

The CSO report also found there was a 24% increase in these crimes in the East of the country, a 21% jump in the South, and a 16% increase in the Dublin Metropolitan Region and the North West.

Over the same time period, the number of incidents of crime involving weapons and explosives rose by 10% nationally, while the number of theft and related offences increased by 9%. More than two out of every five theft offences recorded were from shops.

Crime incidents of fraud, deception and related offences rose by 9%, burglary and related offences were up 6%, and attempts and threats to murder, assaults, harassments and related offences increased by 1%.

There were some 16,874 controlled drug offences recorded over the 12-month period, with increases in both drug importation and drug dealing offences.

There was a 22% increase in incidents of dangerous driving leading to death. File picture

There was also a 22% increase in incidents of dangerous driving leading to death.

The CSO figures compare recorded crime statistics in the year to the end of March 2024 with the same period over the previous 12 months. While instances of certain crimes rose, others fell. 

The number of incidents recorded involving offences against Government, justice procedures, and the organisation of crime fell by 16%, the number of recorded sexual offences decreased by 12%, and the number of homicide and related offences dropped by 8%.

The CSO’s Recorded Crime Q1 2024 report also provides a breakdown of the victims of recorded assaults in terms of age group and sex.

Some 60% of the victims of assaults in the year to the end of March were men, and 40% were women.

In terms of the age profile of the male victims, there was an 16% increase in the number of assaults on men aged 60 or older, while men aged 30 to 44 accounted for one-third of all male victims of assault.

In terms of female victims of recorded assault, 38% were aged between 30 and 44, 28% were aged between 18 and 29, 18% were aged between 45 and 59, 10% were under the age of 18, and 6% were over the age of 60.