Burglaries And Thefts In Clare Continuing To Increase

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Burglary and theft offences in Clare are continuing to increase.

Members of this county’s Joint Policing Committee have been told that domestic disputes and vehicle seizures have also risen so far this year.

The quarterly meeting of Clare’s JPC has heard this morning that thefts from shops in the county have spiked 52% year-on-year between January and August.

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247 such offences have been documented by Gardaí here so far in 2022, compared to 163 in the same period in 2021.

General burglary offences are up by nearly a third in the same timeframe, with other thefts up by around a quarter.

Chief Superintendent Seán Colleran told the meeting that some of this can be put down to increased activity in both the economy and society post-Covid.

Concern was also expressed at a spike in driving under the influence offences, including both alcohol and drugs, which is up by 59% here in the first eight months of the year.

However, public order offences have dropped by 13%, and fraud and economic crime has fallen by a third, after a surge last year had caused alarm among senior Gardaí and elected representatives.

The meeting also heard concerns about feuding groups in Ennis and elsewhere in the county, and the impact violent incidents are having on the communities involved.

Chief Superintendent Colleran told the meeting senior Gardaí are taking a ‘targeted’ and ‘proactive’ approach to such incidents, and that a ‘significant’ number of people are already before the courts on various charges.

Increased visibility patrols are also set for towns across the county through both the Halloween and Christmas periods.