Thefts, shopping and sexual crimes increase as other criminals decrease

Many forms of serious crime have decreased last year, although theft, sexual crimes and threats to kill have increased, according to official data from the Central Statistics Office.

The new figures for 2024 show that the offenses registered by homicide, robbery and drugs decreased by 13 %, 10 %, respectively 7 %, compared to 2023. However, the number of imported drugs increased by 60 %.

There was also a 5 % increase in weapons and explosive offenses, while the number of sexual crimes increased by 8 %.

There were 77 incidents registered by homicide and related offenses in 2024, down 13 % compared to 2023. Decreases in dangerous leadership incidents that led to death (decreasing by 28 %) represented most of the change throughout the year.

There were 38 crimes last year, an increase of three on 2023, although the crime rate was still behind its peak in the modern era: 78 crimes in 2007.

The number of sexual crimes related to the guard increased by 8 % last year to 3,709 crimes, including a 3 % increase in rapes to 964 cases.

The offenses of robbery, extortion and hijacking decreased by 265 incidents or 10 % throughout the year. This was mainly determined by a decrease in blackmail or extortion incidents (24 %decreasing).

There was an increase of 182 burglary incidents compared to 2023, determined by an increase of 151 robberies in which there was no aggravation.

Theft offenses increased by 3 % in 2024, with almost 2,000 additional incidents of store theft, an increase of 6 % compared to 2023.

Almost eight out of ten (78 percent) of all additional theft offenses last year were related to shopping. In general, theft from stores represented 44 % of all theft offenses in 2024.

The figures also show an increase in the motor theft with 7,623 offenses reported last year, up 4 % by 2023 and what it did the worst year for the motor theft in more than a decade.

The main points of view for the incidents of engine theft last year were Dublin, Cork and Limerick. Dublin was an important proportion of 4,305 stolen vehicles, followed by 851 in Cork and 502 in Limerick.

Ireland

Crimes involving children to be quickly tracked by CO …

Nikki Murran, a retail director at Excel Recruitment, said the crime data for 2024 shows that shop owners are hit harder than ever.

“Today’s figures confirm what the retailers in Ireland already know – shopping shopping get out of control and encrypted Irish businesses,” she said.

“Theft does not refer only to a lost stock – it leads to higher security costs, impact on staff safety and eventually increases prices for honest customers. Small enterprises, in particular, feel tightening, because they have no resources to absorb these losses.”

“Retail traders need stronger, better application and real consequences for repeat offenders. Without an urgent action, many companies will be obliged to rethink how they work or if they can remain open at all.”