This article is from page 24 of the 2011-04-19 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 24 JPG
ONE Clare home has been broken into each day so far in 2011, according to figures released at yesterday’s meeting of Clare’s Joint Policing Committee.
The figures, which represent the first three months of 2011, show that the crime rate in the county is generally lower than for the first three months of 2010.
The largest increases were seen in the area of assaults causing harm, which increased by 21 per cent, and non-violent thefts, which showed a 19 per cent increase.
The number of burglaries in the county is marginally on the 2010 levels, with 90 break-ins taking place in January, February and March – or roughly one each day.
The number of sexual offences was down by 19 per cent year on year from 21 in the first three months of 2010 to 17 so far this year. However, according to Clare’s Chief Superintendent, John Kerin, the majority of sexual offences reported to Clare gardaí so far this year relate to his- toric rather than current incidents.
Ten of the 17 offences reported so far this year relate to incidents from the 1960s, ‘70s and ‘80s, with the oldest case dating back to 1964.
The increase in non-violent thefts has been put down to a market increase in thefts involving scrap metal and heating oil from both commercial and residential premises.
“There has been no let up on the problem. It has not been decreased but there has been no let up and there have been a number before the court,” said the Chief Superintendent.
“The price of copper has trebled in the past few years. There are now gangs at this [stealing metal for scrap] in Ireland.
“We have made recommendations that legislation is looked at to force scrap dealers to record details of the person who sold the copper to them and the registration of their car. This has happened in other countries and we think that the invoking of new legislation is the only way to tackle this.”
The issue of home heating oil theft was raised by Cllr Pascal Fitzger- ald (Lab) who said that a number of houses in his area have been targeted in recent weeks.
“The theft of home heating oil has been a problem but a lot of the home heating oil being taken from houses is not being taken by trucks.
“In one incident here in Ennis, we had two lads with five-gallon drums on them,” said Chief Superintendent Kerin.
“People need to be more alert and need to put locks on their tanks they are hitting tanks at random all over the county.”