THE LATEST CRIME statistics show that there has been a decrease in the number of murders in 2013 compared to last year – but a rise in kidnappings.
The figures on recorded crime, released by the Central Statistics Office, were welcomed by the Garda Commissioner, Martin Callinan.
The stats show that falls continue in most offence groups, but there were rises in kidnapping and theft.
Dangerous and negligent acts fell by 15.1 per cent, while fraud, deception and related offences fell by 16.6 per cent.
However, theft and related offences rose by 3.6 per cent.
From September 2012 to September 2013, there were 2 recorded murder and manslaughter offences, a decrease of four on the previous year.
However, dangerous driving leading to death offences rose from 17 to 21 over the same period.
Of sexual offences, the statistics show that the number of offences fell by 2.04 per cent to 2,007. However, sexual assault was the only sub-group that saw offences increase by 4.2 per cent.
Commissioner Callinan said he is “heartened that the hard work being carried out by members of An Garda Síochána throughout the country is reflected in the Q3 statistics released today”.
However, he warned that “we must not become complacent”:
the rise in Theft and Related Offences shows that recent initiatives we have undertaken such as the inaugural Crime Prevention Day of Action (December 2) highlighting smartphone theft are timely and targeted, and will assist us in the fight against crime in general and thefts in particular.
The Garda Commissioner said that the fall in weapons and explosives offences (down 9.2 per cent), controlled drug offences (down 6.7 per cent) and offences against the State (down 11.8 per cent) “show that our continuing efforts to dismantle all aspects of organised crime and subversive activity is having a definable benefit for the law abiding citizens of the country who wish to live their lives in peace”.
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