Serious crime falls in third quarter

Crime statistics released today show a fall in the number of murder, assault, drugs and gun offences recorded by gardaí in the third quarter of this year.

The Central Statistics Office also reported a 16 per cent fall in the number of burglaries – to 6,016 - and a 15 per cent reduction in drink driving offences - to 2,776 - in the three months to the end of September.

There were 11 murders during the third quarter, one less than in the same period last year, and a 10 per cent fall in cases of assault and harassment to 4,284. No manslaughter offences were recorded.

A total of 5,326 controlled drug offences were recorded, down 11 per cent on the same period in 2009.

However, there was a 138 per cent increase in the number of people found cultivating drugs, to 191 and a 4.8 per cent rise in cases where individuals possessed drugs for sale or supply.

Gardaí recorded 936 weapons and explosives offences, 8.2 per cent fewer than in the same period last year.

Incidents of theft fell by half of 1 per cent to 19,908 and there were 273 (1.7 per cent) fewer public order offences.

The number of kidnapping and human trafficking offences was also down, as were arson offence which fell by 20 per cent to 642.

There was a 21 per cent increase in the number of robbery, extortion and hijacking offences, to 714, and a 1 per cent increase in cases of fraud, to 1,189.

There was a sharp rise (79 per cent) in the number of sexual offences recorded but the CSO said this could be attributed in the main to an ongoing Garda review of all such cases which had resulted in a considerable number of incidents from the past being reclassified.

In a separate study, the CSO found 9 per cent of households had experienced property crime such as vandalism, burglary and theft of and from vehicles so far this year, down from 11 per cent in 2006 and 12 per cent in 2003.

The Crime and Victimisation Survey showed Dublin, at 12 per cent, was the region with the highest level of property crime, with residents of the Border, west and south west only half as likely to experience such crime.

The survey found that people are considerably less concerned about being victims of crime than in the past. In 2010, 40 per cent of respondents expressed worry, compared to 53 and 58 per cent in 2006 and 2003 respectively. However, 83 per cent now believe crime is either a serious or very serious problem.

Some 35 per cent of female respondents said they felt unsafe or very unsafe walking in their neighbourhood after dark, compared to 16 per cent of men.

A total of 44 per cent of people aged 65 years or over reported feeling unsafe or very unsafe walking alone in their neighbourhoods after dark, compared to 21 per cent of those aged 18-24.

Some 37 per cent of thefts without violence were not reported to the gardaí. Of those who did not report 36 per cent said it was not sufficiently serious and 55 per cent believed gardaí could (33 per cent) or would (22 per cent) do nothing to help.