MURDERS HAVE declined sharply but organised crime continues to rise, according to the latest figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO).
There was a 36 per cent reduction in the past year, from 139 to 89, with 15 murders in the second quarter of this year, compared to 44 in the same period last year – a reduction of almost 66 per cent.
Threats of murder, as well as assaults, harassments and related offences were up. The 220 threats of murder in the past year represent an increase of of 88 per cent.
The largest number of offences in this group are recorded under “other assault” and show an increase from 10,541 to 11,698.
Kidnapping and related offences increased from 88 to 95 in the past year, a jump of 8 per cent. However, this category has shown a reduction from 26 to 16 in the past three months, a drop of 38.5 per cent.
The quarterly figure for robbery, extortion and hijacking offences increased by almost one-fifth, from 468 to 557.
Narcotics offences in the second quarter – from April 1st to June 30th – increased by 731 to 5,602, an escalation of 15 per cent. The increase of 4,349 over the past year represents a surge of 26.8 per cent.
The incidence of rape in the past three months fell from 93 to 80, a decline of 14 per cent.
In the past year, the number of drug-driving offences more than doubled, from 152 to 350.
Fine Gael justice spokesman Charlie Flanagan said that while the reduction in murders was welcome, it was unfortunately tempered by the increase in murder threats and attempts in the annualised figures.
Calling on the Government to abandon plans to reduce Garda overtime and frontline policing, Mr Flanagan said that property crime and street thuggery would get worse if gardaí were taken off the beat.
“The CSO reveals major increases in property-related crime, with aggravated burglary up 76.6 per cent, a 31.1 per cent increase in robbery of an establishment, a 19 per cent increase in robbery, extortion and hijacking, and a 15.4 per cent increase in burglary and related offences,” he added.
Labour spokesman Joe Costello said it was worrying, but not entirely surprising, that there had been a 15 per cent increase in drug-related offences. “The drugs problem in many communities is worsening, with the huge profits to be made from the drugs industry feeding the deadly cycle of gang violence,” he added.
Sinn Féin spokesman Aengus Ó Snodaigh said the figures showed a worrying and significant increase in drug and armed crime and in theft from persons.
Mr Ó Snodaigh said the Garda must focus its resources on areas where crime was high and increasing at a rate greater than the national average.
