Crime rates on the rise in the capital

Sara Dalton

The new crime figures published by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) show an increase in Dublin’s sexual offences, kidnapping, burglary, theft; fraud, deception and related offences between June 2011 and 2012.

The report showed a 4.5% increase in burglaries in Dublin during this period. This figure coincides with a 10.3% escalation in national burglaries from year to year.

Superintendent Thady P. Muldoon from Kevin Street Garda Station said: “In Dublin 8, there has been an increase in burglary and also in theft of the person, particularly the theft of iPhones.”

The CSO have reported that while burglary increased across the country between June 2011 and 2012, it dropped by a substantial 25% in the last three months. A regional breakdown of this figure has yet to be published.

Minister for Justice and Defence Alan Shatter attributed the reduced figures to the Garda Operation Fiacla which was established last spring with an aim to tackle the growing rate of burglaries.

“We are fortunate in the Liberties because Community Police have been maintained. We have five sergeants and 34 members on duty in the area,” said Supt Muldoon.

The remaining ten categories of crime in Dublin have dropped in the last 12 months leading to the second quarter of 2012. On a national scale only three of the fifteen categories of crime increased.

Sexual offences reduced nationally by four per cent. However, there was an 80 per cent increase in sexual offences involving mentally impaired people and a 25 per cent rise in non-aggravated sexual assaults.