Concern has been raised over a rise in incidents of criminal damage in Clare.
This morning’s meeting of Clare’s Joint Policing Committee has heard that in the first six months of this year, 206 such offences were detected, marking an almost 20 percent rise in a year.
Since January of this year, Clare Gardaí have received 206 reports of criminal damage in the county, up from 172 in the same period last year.
That’s an increase of nearly 20 percent in the space of 12 months in incidents like damage to the home or other property.
Chief Superintendent John Kerin says while the reason for the rise is unclear, it may be down to the fine weather in recent weeks.
There has also been a concerning jump in serious assaults here – 34 have been recorded on the Garda PULSE system so far this year, up from 26 in the first half of last year.
Clare’s Gardaí have also reissued their appeal to people not to be careless with their vehicle security, with 17 of the 41 thefts from cars in the past month taking place in unlocked vehicles.
With regards to road traffic offences, 1,584 drivers have been caught speeding in Clare since the 1st of January – that’s a 16 percent decrease in the space of a year – while offences concerning mobile phone use at the wheel and not wearing seatbelts have both dropped too.
Gardaí in this county have also told today’s JPC that they’re faced with significant overtime budgetary restraints
But overall, the rate of crime in Clare has fallen significantly in the past ten years and Gardaí say it continues to be one of the safest counties in the country to live in.
