Nine per cent drop in local crime rates
Westmeath's crime rate has dropped by 9.2% in a year, the latest figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) have revealed.
The CSO released the crime figures for the final quarter of 2009 last Thursday, which revealed that the crime rate dropped by 9.2% in the Westmeath Garda Division over the year, when compared to 2008. In total 4,986 crimes were recorded in the Westmeath division last year, compared to 5,493 in 2008, which represents a drop of 507 crimes.
The majority of crimes were down last year, when compared to 2008 figures, although there were some increases, such as robbery, extortion and hijacking offences, which increased by 61.9%, from 21 in 2008 to 34 last year.
Fraud, deception and related offences were also up, although marginally, from 93 in 2008 to 95 last year, an increase of 2.1%. Kidnapping and related offences were up, from none in 2008 to two last year.
All other crimes were down with no homicide offences recorded last year, compared to two in 2008. Sexual offences were down 7.4% from 27 in 2008 to 25 last year, while attempts/threats to murder, assaults, harassments and related offences decreased by 24.1% from 405 in 2008 to 377 last year.
There was a 21.2% decrease in dangerous or negligent acts, which take in dangerous driving causing serious bodily harm, drink driving, drug driving and child abandonment. There were 400 such offences recorded last year, compared to 508 in 2008.
Burglary and related offences decreased from 588 in 2008 to 503 last year, a drop of 14.4%, while there was a 3.3% decrease in theft and related offences, decreasing from 1,244 in 2008 to 1,203 last year.
Controlled drug offences saw a 14.2% drop last year, falling from 336 in 2008 to 288 last year, while weapons and explosives offences dropped from 74 in 2008 to 53 last year, a drop of 28.3%.
Damage to property and to the environment offences also dropped, from 824 such offences in 2008 to 794 last year, a decrease of 3.6%.
Some 1,067 public order and other social code offences were recorded last year, compared to 1,218 the previous year, which represented a decrease of 12.3%.
Offences against government, justice procedures and organisation of crime offences also dropped last year, with 145 such offences recorded in 2009, compared to 153 in 2008, a drop of 5.2%.
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