APPROXIMATELY 17 HOME burglaries took place per day in Ireland over the winter period – a 75% drop on the same period a decade earlier.

Gardaí have released statistics from its Operation Thor during the period today. The winter phase spans from October to March.

Just over 3,000 residential burglaries were reported to gardaí in the phase, a decided drop from over 12,000 in the 2014/2015 phase.

Over 900 arrests were made for offences including burglary, aggravated burglary, or possession of an article, and over 2,000 charges were linked to the same offences under Operation Thor.

Speaking on the release of the figures, Detective Chief Superintendent Seamus Boland said that the gardaí take an organisational approach when tackling rural residential burglaries being carried out by organised crime groups.

Divisional serious crime units that focus on detecting organised crime show the force’s dedication to preventing such robberies, Boland said.

“An Garda Síochána recognises the long lasting impact any burglary has not just on the victim but on communities, both rural and urban,” he added.