Big drop in Laois-Offaly burglary and thefts revealed in official figures

Burglary, theft and offences related to both categories of crime in Laois and Offaly fell significantly in 2018 compared to the previous year according to official figures.

Central Statistics Office (CSO) statistics based on returns from the Laois-Offaly Garda Division show that there were 1,855 incidences of such crimes last year compared with 2,574 in the previous 12 months. This represents a nearly 30% drop.

The total number for burglary and related offences for 2017 was 653. By the end of 2018 this was 451. The biggest change was from July to September. Just 105 types of burglaries were recorded in these months compared to 183 the previous year.