Help gardaí in fight for safer streets

WHILE crime remains a major problem for Irish society, the small reduction recorded in the latest statistics is to be welcomed.

Overall, there was a 1% decrease during the past three months compared with the same period last year according to the Department of Justice. However, between April and June there were 16 murders, one more than in the same period last year.

In most other categories of serious crime, including reported rape, drug seizures and firearm offences, there has been a decline.

Having been in denial about the scale of the problem, Justice Minister Michael McDowell now accepts Ireland has a significant crime problem.

Most of the 24,000 headline crimes committed since April involved theft and robbery. Gardaí complained this takes up an inordinate share of their time.

Mr McDowell has rightly criticised retail shops which display goods worths millions of euro but lack proper security. In this regard, there is an onus on the commercial sector to put its house in order.