Undercover operations reap rewards

THE first 140 days of the year have seen 148 burglaries in the county – a burglary a day. Clare’s Chief Superintendent John Kerin outlined the figures, which showed a decrease in the majority of crime categories in recent months, at this week’s meeting of the county’s Joint Policing Committee.

 

He detailed how garda undercover operations had yielded results in relation to drugs crime and car break-ins.

There have been 10 thefts from cars parked in Bunratty in the first five months of this year, sparking a warning to be extra vigilant in the county’s top tourism spots.

Of the 148 burglaries from January 1 to May 20, 64 or 43% were in the Ennis area, 19 or 13% of burglaries were in Shannon and the remaining 65, or 44%, were reported across the rest of the county. In the same time period there were a total of 72 thefts from vehicles, 29 of which took place in Ennis; 15 in Shannon and the remaining 28 throughout the county.

Speaking about the thefts from cars in Bunratty, Chief Supt Kerin stated the gardaí are working closely with Shannon Development and Clare County Council in a bid to catch the culprits.
He said undercover operations have been carried out in the area when resources are available. Car hire firms have also been contacted by the gardaí for their co-operation in warning tourists of the potential risks of leaving valuables in plain sight.

He stated, “With the co-operation of everybody we are hopeful we can stymie what’s going on. This is something we don’t want to see. The county very much depends on tourism, we want to stop it and we don’t want this trend to continue.”

He urged motorists not to leave any valuable items on display in their cars. As well as the Bunratty thefts recorded by Clare gardai from January 1 to May 20, there have also been five thefts from cars parked in tourist areas in North Clare.

Statistics for the first four months of the year compared with the same period last year in the Clare Garda Division show decreases in eight crime categories by a total of 115 crimes.
There are drops of: 66% in sexual offences; 47% in fraud and related offences; 40%  in weapons and explosive offences; 28% in assaults and related offences; 17% in robbery, extortion and hijacking; 11% in theft and related offences; 8% in burglary and related offences and 4% in property damage and environment.

Homicide and kidnapping remain at 0%. There has been a 21% increase in controlled drug offences, with the number recorded at 116, up 20 from the same time last year.

There have been two cases of aggravated burglary in the county, with Chief Supt Kerin saying that gardaí are making “positive progress” in these matters.

He added the statistics show, “The closure of garda stations hasn’t resulted in any significant increase in those areas, in some cases there has been a reduction in crime.” There have been four fertiliser thefts, two cattle feed thefts and one theft of cattle in the county, according to the figures.

Fifteen incidences of thefts of home heating oil and six other fuel thefts have been reported to the gardaí, with Chief Supt Kerin stating this could be higher, as it is believed gardaíare not called in all cases.
The meeting also heard of the success of recent undercover garda operations. Eight people appeared before the courts last week in relation to the sale and supply of drugs following a six-month covert operation.

Chief Supt Kerin stated that undercover work in the county has “proved very positive”.
“We see it as being the way forward, we have to move with the times. Where the technical equipment is there and we can provide covert operations that is something we will do,” he said.

Tributes were also paid to Superintendent Gerry Wall who has left Kilrush for Leixlip, Kildare. His replacement Superintendent Seamus Nolan was welcomed to the county at the meeting.