Afternoon burglaries through unlocked doors and windows

Clare’s crime statistics: mobile text alerts and the provision of CCTV cameras on the Clare/Limerick Border were discussed at a meeting of Clare’s Joint Policing Committee meeting this week. Carol Byrne reports

 

AN increase in burglaries, theft from cars, theft from shops and aggravated burglaries in County Clare and a significant reduction in other crimes such as assaults and criminal damage is believed to be linked to the recession.
According to Clare’s Chief Superintendent, John Kerin, the crime statistics for the first three months of this year compared with the same period last year bear out research carried out on criminal activity in times of economic depression.
“Empirical research has shown that during time of recession that burglaries and thefts increase, while incidents such as assaults, criminal damage and public order, which have a lot to do with the night time economy, reduce. We have found over the first three months of the year that our figures are very much in line with what this research has proven,” Chief Superintendent Kerin commented.
According to statistics released by the gardaí in Clare at this week’s Joint Policing Committee meeting, burglaries are up by 13 instances for the first three months of the year, rising to 103 from 90 during the same period in 2011.
Speaking about this rise, Chief Superintendent Kerin said, “They were down 20 at the end of last year and they were down the year before. It is in line with national trends. I think while 13 over three months – four a month – and while we are not happy that there is an increase, it is not a significant increase in the overall numbers but it is something we are hoping to reduce.”
At Monday’s meeting of the Joint Policing Committee, concern was raised by a number of members of the committee about the level of break-ins and thefts in rural communities.
Councillor Joe Cooney claimed there was a spike in break-ins to houses in the East Clare area, as well as thefts of home heating oil, which he said was “very alarming”.
Meanwhile, Councillor Oliver Garry also felt such activity was on the increase in rural areas and claimed there was “nothing more frightening to those living in rural areas”.
Councillor Michael Begley felt there is a need for people to be “more suspicious” of cold callers and said it was “better to err on the side of caution” than to be caught out.
Speaking after the meeting, Chief Superintendent Kerin said the reality of the situation in rural areas does not show an increase.
“In East Clare, burglaries are down, in North Clare burglaries are down. There is an increase in the Kilrush district and there has been a significant decrease in Shannon, which covers the rural area in Cratloe and that. It’s not true to say they are increasing.”
He claimed that while there is an increase in the Kilrush district, gardaí are “99% certain they are being committed by local people”.
“There are four or five individuals before the courts for various charges at the moment and we’re satisfied they are the people committing those burglaries,” he stated.
The chief superintendent also advised that “statistics prove that 33% of all burglaries are committed through people entering houses through unlocked doors and windows”. He said these crimes are committed between 12 midday and 4pm.
“We have found in Clare that quite a number of the cars that are broken into are unlocked both during the daytime and night time. We have found also that people have left very valuable items visible to people who are on the look-out and we are encouraging people that even if they are only out in the back garden, you have to lock your door and you have to close your front window. It doesn’t matter how short a period of time, this goes on,” he said.
Thefts from cars are also up by 18 instances in the first three months of the year on the same period last year but there was a 27% reduction last year at the end of the year which was described as “a very significant reduction”.
Thefts from shops were down by 10% at the end of last year but for the first three months of the year, they are up by 14 crimes bringing them to a total of 78.
In this case, the chief superintendent noted that “people have less income and are more inclined to shoplift”. 
He added there were three incidents of aggravated burglary for the first period of this year compared with none for the same period last year. All three occurred in the Ennis area but he stressed that people “are either before the court or will be before the court” in relation to those crimes.
“We had one in April and that is very much a live investigation and I’m very satisfied with the progress in it,” he added.
Even though there are increases in these crimes, overall County Clare is seeing a reduction in crime.
“We are down seven crimes for the year so far. While some categories of crimes are up, other categories are well down. These are mainly assaults, criminal damage, arsons, sexual offences and drug offences. Serious assaults were down 15% at the end of last year and minor assaults were down 25% and we are down nine serious assaults and six minor assaults so far and our criminal damage offences are down 38 and there was a 21% reduction at the end of 2010 and a further dip in 2011 so that’s significant. The unlawful taking of cars was down 28% at the end of last year and we are down another 11 for the start of this year,” the chief superintendent explained.
In the area of road traffic offences, the number of detections for drink driving is also down by 25 instances in first three months of the year and there have been 43 detections to date, representing a reduction of 41%.
“We would believe while there are drunk drivers escaping, we are satisfied that through education, there are a lot less people drinking and driving and people willing to take the chance and the reality is for those that are taking the chance that there are so many check points that you are going to be caught,” he said.
Overall, the road traffic accidents in County Clare are down 29%. It was highlighted that January last year saw very poor driving conditions compared to this year and is a significant factor in this reduction.

 

 

Text-alert rollout considered

THE use of mobile text alerts is to be raised at a crime conference to be held in Galway on Thursday, which is being chaired by Clare’s Chief Superintendent John Kerin.
The idea behind text alerts is to notify communities of suspicious activity and for gardaí to be alerted of suspicious cars or people in their neighbourhood. The scheme was initiated in Longford but has been adopted by community alert groups in County Clare, with particular success in East Clare where Flagmount Community Alert group have taken it on.
At Monday’s meeting of the Joint Policing Committee, members discussed its success here and the potential to roll it out elsewhere in the county.
Councillor Pat Hayes, mayor of Clare, said he is from Flagmount parish where this system is being used successfully and explained it allows 100 people to be notified of a suspicious vehicle with one text.
He said gardaí need to use modern technology in innovative ways and systems like this are “the way forward”.
Committee member, Richard Cahill, said this would be an effective way for the young people to engage with the gardaí and report suspicious activity.
“It would be a way to acknowledge the youth of today. They see things and with some mobile plans, they can only text,” he said.
Speaking after the meeting, Chief Superintendent Kerin explained the issue was due to be raised at a Garda conference taking place on Thursday.
“The mobile alert is one of the items on the agenda and the superintendent, who launched it in Longford will be giving a talk on it. We are looking at other initiatives that we can assist communities and community alert schemes and help reduce crime. It is working well in East Clare and it is something we would like to roll out as a regional initiative,” he said.

 

Call for CCTV cameras on Limerick/Clare border

CALLS have been made to provide CCTV cameras on the Limerick/Clare borders to try to catch “any car on its way to a crime scene or from a crime scene”.
Councillor Cathal Crowe raised the issue at a meeting of the Joint Policing Committee where he proposed a discussion on the provision of community CCTV and number plate recognition CCTV systems.
“I’m looking for CCTV on the county boundary. There are eight access points into Clare. Five routes have CCTV already,” he said but claimed that if positioned at the right locations, they would assist gardaí in capturing “any car on its way to or from a crime scene”.
Councillor Crowe said he accepted the cost would be substantial but suggested a joint initiative between the gardaí, county council and other bodies could help provide the cameras.
Superintendent Gerard Wall of the Kilrush Garda District advised the members the provision of CCTV is “very expensive” and not only requires the provision of the cameras but also the provision of back-up systems and man power to monitor them.
It was suggested by the chairman of the JPC Councillor Joe Arkins that the matter could be discussed as part of a subcommittee aimed at forming a draft framework for the JPC for the period 2012 to 2014.
Chief Superintendent John Kerin said he would raise the matter with his colleagues in Limerick and look into what kind of funding is available.