OCTOBER is the worst month for burglaries in Offaly, according to a new report. More than three-quarters of the Irish population (77%) feel that they are more at risk from theft in recessionary times, according to new figures published as part of the annual eircom PhoneWatch Burglary Report.
A further 40% feel more at risk from violent crime and 71% of the population believe that crime as a whole has increased in Ireland since the recession officially began in 2008.
Now in its ninth year of publication, the 2009 Burglary Report reveal
ed a heightened awareness of security issues and a strong desire to protect what we already have. 68% of respondents claimed to have become more security conscious as a result of the recession. Home security was found to be the issue of greatest concern to Irish people, with 46% citing home security/invasion as their primary security worry, followed by bank/ATM security (21%).
When asked what they would most seek to protect in the case of burglary, 73% named their 'loved ones' as their primary concern, followed by 'themselves' (55%). Private documents and family photos were also high on the list of things which homeowners would most seek to protect. Perhaps they are right to worry, as for the third year running, a staggering eight out of ten burglaries took place while their occupants are at home, suggesting that burglars are not deterred by home occupancy when selecting their target and that there are greater things at risk than personal possessions.
Approximately n72 million worth of goods were stolen from Irish residential households in the period July 2008 to June 2009, which equates to an average value of n3,011 per home burgled. Proportionally, jewellery constituted the greatest financial loss at 33.1% of the total value stolen.
For the first time since 2005, the eircom Phonewatch Burglary Report has revealed a nationwide decrease (12.6%) in the total number of burglaries compared to the same twelve-month period last year. Offaly specifically recorded a 30.3% decrease, representing 2.3% of burglaries in the counties outside Dublin, suggesting that the increase in security consciousness has led to an increase in home security measures.
According to the Burglary Report, 79% of the population are now taking measures to secure their home and its contents. In spite of tough economic times, 61% said that they are prepared to pay for greater home security.
October was the most targeted month for burglaries in Offaly, while November was the most popular time of year for residential burglary nationwide, with 10.3% of all incidents occurring in this time period. February, May, July and August are the least targeted months of the year, suggesting that cover of darkness in the winter months can be a strong motivating factor in opportunistic and planned burglaries.
Houses with three or more bedrooms account for 90% of all burglaries.
