There have been significant increases in instances of burglary and theft in Clare so far this year.
Members of the Clare Joint Policing Committee have heard that theft from shops has soared by almost 60% since the beginning of the year.
Chief Superintendent Colm O’Sullivan has told members of the county’s Joint Policing Committee that property crime has seen a surge in the last year which he largely attributes to the activity of one criminal gang which for a brief period was targeting businesses and residences in Clare.
Burglary, which includes businesses as well as homes, is up 30% since last year while theft from shops is up 59% and theft of other kinds, such as pickpocketing, is up 40%.
Offences relating to sale or supply of drugs have increased by 38% but the Chief Superintendent claimed this to be a reflection of successful Garda enforcement.
With anti-social behaviour becoming an increasingly prevalent area of concern, figures showed that 212 minor assaults and 144 public order offences have been recorded in the county so far this year which the Chief Superintendent claimed were inextricably linked to the “night time economy”.
Road-related crime has largely seen a drop with driving without insurance down 36% and speeding down 24%.
Almost all other areas of crimes saw decreases from last year but the Chief Superintendent has reminded the public that while fraud and economic crime are down marginally, people should still be vigilant around scam text messages, viruses and suspicious correspondence from strangers online.
