This article is from page 4 of the 2006-01-31 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 4 JPG
SERIOUS crime in Clare fell by six per cent last year while gardaí were busiest in the month of June, according to preliminary figures obtained by The Clare People .
Although the final figures will not be published until a later stage, the preliminary statistics show that the demand for garda services in the Clare Garda Division increased by 15 per cent last year, when compared with the previous year. Some 9,922 incidents were dealt with by gardaí in Clare last year, compared with 8,644 in 2004.
“This is a combination, from the most serious to the most trivial offences, all of which require a response,” said Chief Supt Liam Quinn.
Gardaí in the division — which takes in parts of north Tipperary — received over 1,000 calls in June of last year.
This compared with 588 in February, which was the quietest month last year.
The summer months — June, July and August — showed gardaí on the receiving end of an average of 950 calls per month. Behind February, the other quiet months were January, September, November and December.
“Obviously it is reflected in the traffic and tourists and the increased activity in the county as a result,” said Chief Supt Quinn.
Among the other statistics included in the figures were increases in drink-driving arrests (12 per cent) and speeding detections (17 per cent), while there was a 15 per cent increase in the number of drug seizures, much of which was attributed to the rise in the number of cocaine seizures.
There was a sizeable decrease in the number of theft and robbery offences, while the number of sexual assaults reported dropped by 29 per cent last year.
“There are huge variations in the area of sexual assaults.
“The reporting of these incidents is crucial. It is extremely important to report issues of that nature.
“Otherwise the offenders are left to do it again,” said Chief Supt Quinn.
He said, overall while the figures were preliminary, the targets set by gardaí in the county were met.
“Headline crime is down by six per cent,” he said.