Covid curtails criminals' activities

Cancellation of Life and Body and Soul festivals leads to a huge reduction in drug offences

Covid-19 has had a major impact on the productivity levels of criminals operating in Westmeath with a significant decrease in the amount of incidents reported to gardai in the third quarter of this year.

The number of burglaries reported between July 1 and September 30 fell from 217 in 2019 to 114 this year, a decrease of 47%. In the Athlone District there was a 53% drop, while Mullingar District recorded a 43% decrease. There was also a significant decrease in other types of property crimes which fell from 841 in 2019 to 592 this year, a drop of almost 30%.

The number of thefts from vehicles fell from 134 in Q3 last year to 64 this year, a drop of 52%, while the number of cars stolen was 29 compared to 83 in the same period 2019, a decrease of 65%.

Shoplifters have also been less busy with 260 reported incidents in Q3 compared to 372 last year, a drop of 30%; while reported thefts of other property fell from 204 in Q3 last year to 168 in 2020, a decrease of 18%.

Crimes against the person fell county wide from 349 in the third quarter of 2019 to 321 (-8%) this year. However, in the Mullingar District there were 22 more reported instances, an increase of 12%.

The cancellation of Life and Body and Soul music festivals due to Covid 19 was responsible for a huge fall in the number of drugs offences in Mullingar District. The number of drug dealing offences fell from 65 in Q3 of 2019 to 38 this year, a decrease of 42%, while the number of offences relating to personal possession fell from 946 to 161, a decrease of 83%.

In Athlone the number of drug dealing offences rose from 18 in 2019 to 22 in Q3 of this year, a jump of 22%, while the number of simple possession offences also rose from 60 to 71 (+18%).

The number of drink driving offences fell from 130 last year to 103 in Q3 of this year (-21%). There was also a decrease in the number of vehicles seized; down from 430 in Q3 last year to 333 (-23%) this year.

Superintendent Alan Murray told the meeting that the reduction in crime was due to a number of Covid-19 related factors, including a great garda presence on the roads.

"Perhaps we can say that criminals are not travelling the roads as they were before," he said.