Irish Examiner view: There is a dark shadow behind our crime figures

Research suggests that, as well as the stress suffered by victims of crime, their nearest and dearest are also twice as likely as the rest of the population to experience fear, anxiety, and depression

Data from British research — results which are unlikely to be wildly different in Ireland — suggests the negative effects of crime ripples out from the immediate victim. 

While there has been news of debilitating crime and threatening behaviour in our cities and towns, we need more clarity on some essential issues.

Firstly, what remedies are available to us, as a democratic society in which personal freedoms are generally to be supported, as long as they do not harm others?