Burglary cases increase by 17%

Figures for crime in the Blanchardstown Garda district show a 17% increase in the number of burglaries reported last year.
An annual report issued last week by the Fingal Joint Policing Committee (JPC) outlined crime statistics in the area for 2012.
According to figures, there were 730 burglaries reported to the Blanchardstown Garda Station in 2012, an increase of 17% on 2011, when the figure was 624.
Meanwhile, the highest crime rate for the district was for criminal damage. There were 958 such cases in the district last year, a 5% increase on 2011. The highest percentage increase was for the robbery of establishments, which rose 70% from 23 in 2011 to 39 reports in 2012.
Theft from MPV (mechanically propelled vehicles) was up by 29%, with a reported 590 cases in 2012 compared to the 458 reports in 2011. According to the senior garda, areas being targeted by car thieves included local football clubs and the Coolmine Rugby club, where at one stage three to four cars were being targeted in each incident.
There were 11 cases of discharge of firearms in the district, one more than the year before. These “serious offences” are continuing to be investigated by gardai, the senior garda said at the report’s launch.
Reports of assaults causing harm reduced significantly with a 52% drop in 2012 with 30 cases, 32 fewer than 2011.
Robbery from a person was down 24% to 83 in 2012, 26 less than 2011 while possession of an offensive weapon is also down, with 63 cases in 2012, a drop of 21% on the previous year when figures were 80.
However, during the meeting, a senior garda said the first two months of the new year showed a significant decrease, with reported burglaries down 11% in January and down 56% in February compared to the same time last year, which the senior garda said is down to “a lot of hard work”.
Mulhuddart councillor and vice chairman of the Fingal JPC Kieran Dennison (FG) said: “In Blanchardstown, burglary rates increased by approximately 17 per cent on the previous year. Theft from vehicles and shops was also up, but all other crime levels were down significantly.
“The gardai in Blanch must be commended for this. The main task of our police service is to prevent crime and in this they have done a good job,” he said.