Burglary figures show a drop of 52 per cent
By Maurice Garvey
BURGLARIES and criminal damage decreased significantly in the Ballyfermot area over the first three months of the year, according to latest statistics from the Joint Policing Meeting.
At the Ballyfermot JPCF meeting on Thursday night (April 28), it was reported there was a 52 per cent reduction in burglaries.
There were 37 burglaries from January to March this year – compared to 78 burglaries in the corresponding period in 2015.
Criminal damage also decreased by 25 per cent – with 61 criminal damage incidents from January to March – compared to 81 in the corresponding period in 2015.
There were slight increases in drug seizures (up 14 per cent – from 10 to 14), and assaults (up from six in 2015 to seven).
Operation Thor – the Garda Siochána anti-crime strategy targeting organised gangs – has been operating in Cherry Orchard, and is to be extended to the Le Fanu area and lower Ballyfermot.
Meanwhile, road traffic offences saw an increase in drink-driving and uninsured drivers.
Drink-driving offences increased by 28 per cent – from 13 last year, to 18 in the latest report.
Section 112 offences (driving without consent of owner) decreased by 35 per cent – from 26 to 17.
Superintendent Brendan Connolly, from Clondalkin Garda Station, said a number of garda operations are constantly in place to target burglaries in the area.
This includes the monitoring of known offenders, objecting to bail, plain clothes deployment, public awareness initiatives, with weekly operations in place to target anti-social behavior and drug dealing.
