Dramatic Reduction In Burglaries Across Clare

News - Local

Sunday, 10 October 2010 11:42

Written by Katrina Doyle

There has been a dramatic decrease in the number of burglaries committed across County Clare.

According to the latest eircom PhoneWatch Burglary Report – covering the period June 2009 to June 2010 – there was a 18% reduction in burglaries compared to the previous year.

Now in its tenth year of publication, the Burglary Report has found that for the first time in a decade the most common method of entry for burglars is via the front door (28% of all burglaries). In addition to which, an alarming 85% of all burglaries now take place while people are at home – up from 80% in 2009.

Worryingly, the 2010 report also revealed that burglars no longer strike under the cover of darkness. For the fourth year in a row, the most likely time of day to be burgled is between 12pm and 4pm (31%). The 2010 report also revealed July as the most likely month of the year to be burgled. For seven of the past ten years, October to February has represented the most targeted time of year, which indicates that home owners should remain security aware as we move into the winter months.

Dublin continues to top Ireland’s burglary table, with burglaries increasing 30% this year and accounting for 39% of burglaries nationwide. When these figures are combined with the surrounding commuter belt (Wicklow, Kildare, Meath and Louth) this figures climbs to 60%, a noticeable increase on last year’s figures (53%).

However, overall the number of burglaries outside of Dublin has fallen, with statistics indicating a 1.5% decrease year on year. Outside Dublin, the most targeted counties were Kildare (7%), Meath (5.3%), Cork (5.15%) and Wicklow (5.08%). Limerick has dropped outside the top five burglary hotspots for the first time in nine years, accounting for 4.5% of burglaries committed nationwide.

The counties outside Dublin, which experienced the greatest increase in burglaries compared with last year’s findings, include Kerry (increased from 0.5% in 2009 to 1.06% in 2010), Longford (increased from 0.6% to 0.8%), Galway (increased from 3.68% in 2009 to 4.64% in 2010) and Meath (increased from 4.37% to 5.33% in 2010).