The Clare Champion Clare news, sport, entertainment and local notes
THE economic downturn and consequent emigration have resulted in a dramatic drop in certain types of crimes over the past six years, Clare’s most senior garda has claimed. According to crime statistics outlined at a recent meeting of the West Clare Municipal District, reported incidents of damage to property and the environment more than halved between 2008 and 2014, going from 934 down to 395 last year. Public order and other social code offences also dropped significantly over the same period, going from 1,456 reported in 2008 to 765 over the course of 2014. “These are often late at night, drink-fuelled, stupid acts of criminal damage. There is no doubt that CCTV in towns like Kilrush and Ennis have also impacted that, but we have to accept that the downturn in the economy and the subsequent emigration have had a positive impact on these figures, one of the only things it has had a positive impact on really,” Garda Chief …
Read More »