Scams and domestic violence increase across Tipperary

Online and telephone based scams have increased exponentially in Tipperary during the Covid-19 pandemic, while incidents of domestic violence have also increased.

Such crimes have increased by 500% in the last year across the county, the Tipperary Joint Policing Committee heard from Chief Superintendent Derek Smart last week, who said Gardaí can help advise people on how to avoid scams.

The criminals behind them are professionals who are dedicated to crafting schemes aimed at parting people with their bank details and they have become very sophisticated and adept at fooling people, the Chief Superintendent said.

“They are trained to do it. This is their job – to ring you to try and get your bank details, to try and con you out of them as best they can. They are extremely believable”, Chief Superintendent Smart said.

“There were 370 (fraud) crimes reported in Tipperary this year. This is the picture right across the whole country” he said, explaining to elected representatives that online and phone based crimes have increased by 502%.

Gardaí across Tipperary are spreading awareness about the danger of responding to unsolicited emails and the Chief Superintendent said the accurate number of people being deceived is unknown, as people are often reluctant to reveal they were tricked.

“People are clicking in and giving their private details and unfortunately there are bank accounts becoming compromised. It is a very lucrative trade.”  

He advised people who are suspicious of an email, text message, or telephone call to end the call and not communicate by any other methods. Banks do not contact people in such ways, he said and to report anything suspicious to their bank or financial service provider.

In his breakdown of crime figures across the District, Chief Superintendent Smart also revealed that domestic violence reports rose by 10% in the past year.

Risk assessments are carried out by any member of the Gardaí who responds to an incident of domestic violence to establish the threat level that is posed to the person reporting the incident, the Chief Superintendent said.

He advised anyone concerned about a member of their community to alert the Gardaí. "Let us know and let us figure out a way of reaching out to them so they get the support and help they need”, he said.

Property crime, which includes all robberies and burglaries, has fallen by 7% across the county and incidents of non-aggravated burglary fell by 11%. Crimes against the person, which includes murder, murder threats, assaults, harassment, child abandonment and neglect or abuse increased by 6% across the county, with a significant 48% increase reported in the Thurles area from 73 incidents to 108.

Assaults have increased by 7%, while possession of drugs for personal use has increased by 8% and possession of drugs for sale or supply fell  by 16%. Gardaí conducted 2,475 Mandatory Intoxicant Testing checkpoints in the county, which resulted in 264 incidents of driving while intoxicated which is down 17% from last year. Drug driving offences fell by 39%, while incidents of speeding detected by a Garda patrol increased by 23%.

Chief Superintendent Smart said eight new probation Gardaí will be assigned to the Tipperary Division next year and that three members currently working in Tipperary are being transferred to Cork. He said the new members will be assigned across the Tipperary division, which was welcomed by elected representatives.