Increase in street crime

Photo William Murphy

Street crime in Dublin’s inner city is becoming an increasingly serious problem as more and more people become victims of crime each week.

A 51 year old man was killed in Ormond Square last week after being stabbed several times. The incident happened in broad daylight, at approximately 2.30 pm.

The incident comes shortly after a 27 year old man, Ian McKenna, was left critically injured following another savage daytime attack outside the Central Bank of Ireland on College Green.

McKenna was stabbed up to eight times and sustained a punctured lung as a result. CCTV footage showed five men assaulting him just after 6pm on the 9th of September.

Stabbings aren’t the only problem in Dublin’s inner city however; there are also problems with muggings, drugs and other anti-social behaviour.

Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan commented on the recent increase in stabbings. He said “It is a shocking, appalling case when someone’s life is taken.”

The commissioner believes that it would be impractical to suggest a ban on knives and sharp objects on the streets, and so he is urging the public to act responsibly. He continued: “People have a legitimate purpose for using these types of instruments. So it is important that people behave when they are out in public and when arguments ensue that they will act responsibly.”

Thefts from the person is a particularly prevalent crime in Dublin city centre, with phones frequently being snatched from the owners hands, and bags being robbed in the middle of the day.

Smartphone owners are particularly susceptible to this crime and are being warned to be vigilant as 8,000 phones were stolen in Dublin in the first six months of 2012.

While CSO figures released last week show an overall decrease in crime rates, thefts from the person rose by 33%.