CRIME RATES REMAIN LOWER

Crime rates continue to see a major reduction as a result of the restrictions imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Figures presented to the Dundalk Joint Policing Committee last week showed a significant drop across almost all categories of crime with the notable exception of drug offences.

Inspector Liam Archibald outlined how the trend of fewer crimes seen since the beginning of the pandemic has continued. Burglaries were down 46% from 186 during the first ten months of the year compared to the same time last year while the drop in aggravated burgarlies was even bigger, down 69% from 13 to four/

There was, he continued, ‘a notable decrease’ in robberies, with a 90% drop in both robberies from establishments and from the person, with only one robbery from an establishment and two from the person up until November 1 this year.

Thefts were also lower, with a 22% reduction in thefts from shops, at 284 this year compared to 365 during the same period in 2019. Thefts from vehicles showed a 25% reduction with 74, down from 99 during the same period last year, while thefts from other locations such as sheds, yards, were down by almost a third from 149 to 102.

There was ‘a significant decrease’ in ordinary criminal damage offences, said Inspector Archibald, with 251 incidents during the first ten months of 2020 compared to 296 last year. However, arson was up by a third, ‘for no reason that we can identify’, he said.

He said that some arson cases had come before the courts and the gardai had made significant progress in other cases. ‘Some of those cases have resulted in convictions,’ he continued, adding that a lot of work went into investigating these incidents.

One of the few positives to come from the COVID crisis was a reduction in the number of assaults, as a lot of these would be perpetrated in public places, outside pubs, nightclubs and fast-food takeaways at night-time. The number of minor assaults was down 16% from 124 to 104 while assaults causing harm were down 21 per cent from 95 to 75. Sexual assaults were also down 15% from 45 to 53. Likewise public order offences were down 15% from 286 to 250.

‘Drug offences are going in the opposite direction,’ stated Inspector Archibald, explaining that the Drugs Unit is being very proactive this year. There is, he said, ‘almost a full-time presence of the unit, with members of the unit working every day.’ The increase in detections was a result of this, with a 33% increase in simple possession of drugs -up from 267 last year to 356 this year, while incidents of possession of drugs for the purpose of sale or supply were up 44% from 50 last year to 72 this year. The number of searches carried out by the gardai also showed a dramatic increase. A total of 1528 searches have been carried out so far this year, an increase of 38%, searches with a warrant were up 45% to 221, while searches under the Drugs Act were up 38% to 1174. The fruit of this work could be seen in the number of prosecutions being taken.

There was a 33 % reduction in the number of ASBOs (Anti Social Behaviour Orders) which he put down to more active engagement by the gardai in the community.