Burglary and related offences are down all over Ireland according to the latest CSO report. According to the first quarterly national household survey for Quarter 1 2016, the report shows a steady decline in household burglary with up to 50 per cent in some areas.
In the combined three Cork garda divisions, there were 250 recorded burglary offences, down from 435 during the same period 12 months previous. The CSO’s Recorded Crime Quarter 1 2016 survey showed there were 23,377 recorded burglary and related offences in the year ending Q1 2016, a fall of 5,265.
The number of aggravated burglary offences and possession of an article (with intent to burgle, steal, demand) also decreased. Welcoming the news, managing director of PhoneWatch Eoin Dunne, said it is ‘very heartening’ to see levels of crime on the decline.
“Traditionally the first quarter of the year does see some reduction in attempted incidents. There is no doubt that homeowners are becoming more security conscious and this is helping reduce burglaries. We’ve seen significant demand for our monitored home security system and there is no doubt that a home with a monitored alarm offers protection and peace of mind from burglaries.”
The CSO figures showed that crime figures are down some 18 per cent on last year, however Mr Dunne urged homeowners to stay vigilant as the summer is a busy time for criminals as they know many people are away on holidays and houses are therefore easier targets.
“We recommend taking adequate security measures before you leave your house for lengthy periods of time. Homeowners need to stay alert when it comes to home security. Thieves are opportunists who will take advantage of lax security in a home,” he added.
According to PhoneWatch, Irish homeowners are still making it easy for burglars by not taking simple precautions.
A recent survey of 1000 homeowners conducted by iReach on behalf of PhoneWatch showed that: 41 per cent have left windows open when leaving the house, 38 per cent have left keys hidden in their gardens, while 25 per cent have left doors unlocked.
