Burglaries soar by 80% in first three months of year

Gardaí expect trend to decline dramatically

THE full scale of the county’s rural burglary problem was laid bare in figures released by gardaí this week showing a massive spike in the crime for the first three months of the year.

Kerry Chief Superintendent Tom Myers presented figures at a meeting of the Joint Policing Committee, held in Listowel on Friday, showing an alarming rise of 81 per cent in non-aggravated burglaries.

He said gardaí were ‘very disappointed’ with the trend. However, Chief Supt Myers - who was appointed to the county at Christmas - added he was reasonably confident the trend was unique to the first three months of the year - brought to a halt by recent ‘significant arrests’.

A number of gangs that had been travelling into the county were responsible for the rise in raids, he said.

However, he said that gardaí are treating the crime as their ‘number one priority’; carrying out arrests, analysing DNA from crime scenes and objecting to bail to prosecute offenders to the full extent of the law.

Arrests for possession of drugs for sale (dealing) were meanwhile up by 85 per cent with drug possession for personal use up by 38 per cent.

Drink driving rose by 8 per cent with a spike of 200 per cent recorded in arrests for driving under the influence of drugs in worrying news for motorists. The drug-driving figures represented 3 arrests in total on suspicion of the offence in the first three months of the year.

All figures were for the period of January, February and March compared to the same period in 2016.

“We’re very disappointed with quarter one in respect of burglaries,” Chief Supt Myers informed the County Councillors and members of the public who comprise the committee.

76 burglaries (non-aggravated) were reported to gardaí in the period this year, up on the 42 reported for the same period in ‘16.

“2016 was a very, very low year for burglaries however,” he explained adding that the trend was already significantly down since April thanks to what he described as a ‘very high detection’ rate on the back of substantial ‘intelligence work’.

“We also carried out a number of significant arrests and I’m glad to say the trend has turned around already.”

There was a significant drop in other crimes. While shoplifting was up by 14 per cent, theft of other property - encompassing most other types of theft - was down by 23 per cent. Theft from vehicles was down 13 per cent with no change in the level of theft of cars - seven vehicles were reported stolen in the first quarter of ‘17 as in ‘16.

However, Supt Myers said gardaí expect theft of property from cars to rise for the summer.

“It’s a seasonal thing that cars at beaches and walking routes are targeted so it’s very, very important that people not leave valuables visible in their cars.”

Asssaults causing harm were also down (by four per cent), with a small rise recorded in minor assaults (up 2 per cent).

Gardaí also recorded a drop in criminal damage and arson (each down by 25 per cent), as well as a decline in public order offences (down by 10 per cent).

Drunkeness - where people are arrested for their’s and the public’s safety - was up by 12 per cent, however.

Kerry Chief Superintendent Tom Myers