THE DOMESTIC burglary rate in Northern Ireland has increased, figures from Britain’s Department of Justice has revealed.
However, the rise was less than one percentage point and comes amid an overall fall in offences were victim were harmed.
The survey estimated that 13 per cent of all households were the victims of at least one crime during the last year.
Stormont Minister for Justice David Ford said: “This reinforces earlier reports that the level of recorded crime in Northern Ireland is on a downward trend.
“While that is to be welcomed, I am aware that for those who have been victims of crime, these statistics will provide little comfort,” Mr Ford added.
The 2010-11 Northern Ireland Crime Survey reported that there was the lowest victimisation rate recorded since the survey began in 1994, with a 14 per cent decrease since the previous year, consistent with police recorded crime figures.
While the overall victimisation rate decreased between 2009-10 and 2010-11, the rates for most individual offences remained similar to those measured in the 2009 to 2010 period.
The exceptions included an increase in the prevalence rate of domestic burglary (up from 1.6 per cent to 2.2 per cent) and burglary with entry (1 per cent to 1.6 per cent) together with a decrease in the rate of other household theft (from 3.2 per cent to 2.4 per cent).
The risk of becoming a victim of crime remains lower in Northern Ireland than in England and Wales.
An estimated 161,000 incidents of crime happened during the 2010-11 survey period, down 14.8 per cent on the previous year and 45 per cent lower than the 2003-04 figures.
Mr Ford added: “I have already commissioned work on the development of a new strategy for victims and witnesses of crime, and the Criminal Justice Inspection report on the treatment of victims and witnesses will help inform that strategy.”
It is undestood that next year Mr Ford is also planning to publish a comprehensive community safety strategy.