October worst month for burglaries in Offaly
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 revealed 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. Entry through the rear of a property accounts for 43.6% of all burglaries, with the majority entering through a rear window (22.4%) and 21.9% entering through a rear door. A staggering 22.2% of burglars were able to break in through the front door.
In spite of a 15% decrease in the number of burglaries in Dublin county, it remains the worst-hit county in Ireland with 32.7% of all burglaries in the country. When the figures are combined with the surrounding commuter belt of Wicklow, Kildare, Meath and Louth, they account for more than half (53.2%) of all burglaries nationwide.
Outside Dublin, the most targeted counties are Kildare (6.4%), Cork (6.3%), Wicklow (5.3% - climbing four places in the list of top ten burglary hotspots) and Limerick (5.1%). While the majority of counties experienced a decrease in burglary in line with the national trend, a number of counties reported a significant increase, including Kilkenny and Donegal (which both observed enormous increases of 94%), Monaghan (an increase of 37.5%) and Cavan (an increase of 20%).
Brian Hayes, Chief Operating Officer of eircom PhoneWatch comments: “2009 marks a particularly interesting year for the Burglary Report. In times of economic uncertainty, consumers want to look after what they already have. This - combined with a perception of increased crime in recessionary times - has led to a heightened security consciousness amongst Irish consumers. They are now even more prepared to invest time and money into protecting themselves, their homes and their possessions. In spite of the decrease in incidents this year, one insight has remained constant – burglary is a crime phenomenon which will not go away. There are many simple measures that occupants can introduce today to make their home more secure and to deter opportunistic burglars.”
Customers requesting additional information on eircom PhoneWatch can contact 1850 500 900 or visit www.phonewatch.ie.
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