Significant fall-off in gun and drug crime since 2008

GUN AND drug crime has fallen significantly across the Republic in the period since the recession began, with the main drugs offences down nationally by more than a quarter and gun crime down by almost one third.

An analysis of the most recent Central Statistics Office data shows that in some Garda divisions drug crime has halved since its peak four years ago. Meanwhile gun crime has fallen by more than half in seven of the 28 Garda divisions. The combined offences of possessing drugs for personal use or possessing drugs to sell or supply to others has declined 26 per cent in the period from 2008 to the end of last year.

The long-term crime figures reveal that, as the economy continued to get stronger and levels of disposal income rose, drug use also increased, with more people than ever being caught with drugs. However, as the recession took hold throughout 2008 and levels of disposable income began to fall, so too did drug crime.

“Once the money stopped flowing for a lot of people, the party was over and they were forced to scale back on buying drugs, mainly cocaine,” said one Garda source.

Other sources said that because the bulk of the drugs trade is made up of recreational users rather than addicts, it is to be expected that large numbers of users could stop or cut back on their drug consumption when their incomes fell during recession.

Senior gardaí welcomed the fact that the level of gun violence on the streets has fallen in line with a contraction in the drugs trade.

The CSO figures for the main gun crime categories reveal a significant reduction in the gun culture, with the fall-off going much further than the recent drop in the number of people being shot dead. Non-fatal gun offences are also down.

In 2008, for example, there were 680 cases across the State of people being found in possession of a gun or people illegally discharging a gun. This fell to 461 cases last year, a reduction of 32 per cent.