The latest data reveals that the instances of robbery, extortion and hijacking offences in Ireland surged by just over 25% in the previous year, notwithstanding decreases seen in other crimes such as murder and sexual offences. On Monday, the Central Statistics Office (CSO) announced their results for the last quarter of 2023; it was observed that theft and affined offences had risen by 12%, with the annual total soaring from 8,169 to 74,144 incidents.
The statistics indicate that close to half of these offences (46%) were attributed to a surge in shop thefts.
The escalation was particularly pronounced in the areas of robbery, extortion and hijacking offences, witnessing an increase of 26% – this totals an increase from 531 to 2,601 incidents between 2022 and 2023, primarily driven by blackmail, extortion and theft.
The data also displayed modest hikes in crimes associated with weapons and explosives (increase of 5%); property damage (3%); and burglary and related offences (1%).
The annual figures for registered incidents of controlled drug offences showcased negligible change, as reported by statisticians. On the contrary, the recorded incidents of homicide and other similar offences lowered by 19% from 80 to 65 incidents over the course of the year, largely manifesting a reduction in murder cases.
Every other category of crime saw a decline in the same year, with the largest decrease recorded for sexual offences, which were down by 11%. This was followed by public order offences and other ‘social code offences’ (down 8%); dangerous or negligent acts (down 7%).
Over the year, the instances of fraud, deception and related offences decreased by 3% to 11,292 instances. The CSO emphasised that the figures associated with burglary and fraud offences remain significantly altered compared to the pre-Covid era.
A broader view of the data shows that the recorded instances of burglary and related offences decreased from 16,750 in 2019 to 10,884 in 2020. A further drop to 8,584 in 2021 was observed, coinciding with the imposition of public health restrictions due to the pandemic. “As restrictions were relaxed, the number of recorded incidents increased to 9,465 in 2022. In the following year, there were 9,545 incidents which is still a significant 43 per cent less than levels recorded in 2019,” it stated.
By contrast, in 2023, the incident rate for fraud, deception and related offences, recorded at 11,292 incidents, was a significant 43 per cent higher than the figures recorded in 2019 which saw 7,921 incidents.
Between 2019 and 2021, the count of reported crime incidents under a specific category surged over twice to reach 17,124, but later reduced to 11,689 during 2022. Some of the most significant changes noted between 2019 and 2023 involved offences pertaining to the government, judicial procedures, and organised crime, with a decline of 21 per cent. Similarly, controlled drug offences and kidnapping-related crimes lowered by 19 per cent and 17 per cent, respectively.
According to Jim Dalton, a leading statistician in the crime and criminal justice division of the CSO, there was a 4 per cent decrease in the count of male victims, while female victims saw a 3 per cent drop. He pointed out the varying experience of male victims across different age brackets.
Victim counts reduced for individuals below 18 years of age (with a 14 per cent decline), as well as those aged 45-59 years (an 8 per cent decrease) and 18-29 years (a 4 per cent drop). However, there was a 5 per cent increase in the victims aged 60 or more, while those between 30 and 44 years of age saw a minor rise of 1 per cent.
Assaults on female victims also reduced across all age categories, with the sole exception of those aged 60 or above, where there was a 12 per cent hike. The most intense fall was seen in the under 18 age group, with an 11 per cent decline.