The Central Statistics Office today published the recorded crime statistics for the 12 month period ending with the second quarter of 2012. Speaking on publication, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Defence, Mr Alan Shatter TD, welcomed the decrease in 11 of the 14 crime groups for which figures are given, compared with the previous 12 months.
Minister Shatter said "Concerns about crime on the part of the public are real and the impact on victims appalling, but these latest statistics show that most types of crime are in fact falling, which reflects well on the work of An Garda Síochána."
In particular, during the 12 month period crimes against the person are down including murder (down 8%), as well as assault and related offences (down 9.7%).
Public order and damage to property offences are also down (by 13.1% and 10.8% respectively), as are drug offences (down 4.9%) and weapons and explosives offences (down 15.1%).
The position with respect to some property offences remains a concern however. Robbery and theft offences are down (by 4.7% and 1.1% respectively), although burglary is up 10.3% and fraud offences up by 8%. While the burglary figures reflect a twelve month trend seen earlier in the year, the figures for the most recent quarter are actually down 24.8% on the first quarter of 2012 and down 3.8% on the equivalent quarter in 2011, which is an encouraging development. There were 5,992 burglaries recorded in the second quarter of 2012, in comparison with 7,973 for the first quarter of 2012 and 6,226 for the second quarter of 2011. Aggravated burglary is also down over the overall 12 month period, by 19.4%
Minister Shatter continued "The growth in the number of burglaries over the relevant 12 month period, albeit at a lower rate, continues to be a concern for myself and the Garda Commissioner. The fact that the figures for burglary in the second quarter of this year are down by approximately 2,000 is encouraging and I have no doubt that this is a direct result of the impact of Operation Fiacla which commenced in February last. With more than 1,700 persons arrested and nearly 1,000 charged in the first six months of the operation the Gardaí are tackling the prolific offenders behind the growth in burglaries and I want to commend them for that. Many of those charged in recent months will in the coming weeks have their charges dealt with by our courts"
"Figures published today are up to the 30 June 2012 and do not reflect more recent incidents and events. There have been some shocking incidents of serious criminality in the past week including murders which have the full and determined attention of An Garda Síochána. Like An Garda Síochána, I am determined that those responsible be brought to justice. Notwithstanding the positive messages from today’s latest 12 months crime figures, it remains imperative that we confront and disrupt violent and gang crime in all its forms and the Gardaí have the full support of the Government in this."