I like to hear of drops in the crime rates but I’d find it very hard to believe that there is any drop in the numbers of anti-social behavioural crimes. And what about this spate of bombs being found all over the place? We need a much more robust policing system and a meaningful method of punishment for crime. The prison system is a crock. I can’t say that Minister Shatter convinces me at all. The response to crime is a bit too wishy-washy. The Gardai are in a difficult position with the recruitment embargo etc. A lot of this stuff will impact on our attractiveness as a tourist destination too. For his chat on subjects unrelated to his portfolio, Leo Varadkar should be paying a bit of attention to this one and having a chat with his cabinet colleague.

With a reduction in Garda numbers in rural areas there is simply no one to report many crimes to.
My local area has been hit by a huge amount of burglaries of late ,in some cases the perpetrator being caught in the act and identified but slow response from the nearest Garda station and lack of resources have given these thugs percieved immunity.
Many people, especially the elderly and more vulnerable dont report these things anymore.
This seems like a win/win for the government. Lower crime figures with less expendature.

Great to see the media reporting this. Crime rates have been falling for years, yet many media organisations like to sensationalise the crime problem and make people believe that it is getting worse in order to shock people and get more readers / viewers / listeners.

Well done Journal!

Good news. Now will the Garda clean up Dublin city centre. Its very dangerous after 8pm.

The number of offences is down but the numbers in prison are up. Are bankers and economists moving into the criminology sector?

I don’t believe anything the government says.They are a bunch of dirty liars that will twist the numbers to suit themselves.

That’s because the police force in this country are an absolute joke and don’t show up when u call them and if they do it’s 4 hours later!!

A family member recently found himself being set upon in a nightclub, the people who did so found out where he lived sat out side his house, and put bullets through the letter box where he and his parents, brother and sisters etc etc live and told him tht if he didn’t pay them two grand someone would get hurt, he went to the Garda and they told him to PAY THE MONEY that there was very little that they could do and that this was the easier and safer option !!!!! What a joke!!!!! This story sound like something out of a soap but it is in fact 100% true and is a mild version