Slight drop in crime in Westmeath

The rate of crime in the Westmeath Garda Division dropped slightly last year, but homicide and sexual offences are on the rise, the latest figures from the CSO revealed.Statistics for 2010 show that crime in Westmeath dropped by 2.5% last year, but there was a 200% increase in homicide offences and a 26.9% increase in sexual offences. However, while these appear to be large percentage increases, in reality the number of homicide offences rose from zero in 2009 to two in 2010, while sexual offences rose from 26 in 2009 to 33 last year.In 2010 in the Westmeath Garda Division a total of 4,911 offences were recorded, a drop of 2.5% on the 2009 figure of 5,041 offences.Theft and related offences accounted for 1,283 of the total number of offences committed in the Westmeath Garda Division last year, an increase of 5.85% on the previous year's figure of 1,212.The next most common crime in Westmeath were public order and other social code offences, making up 1,071 of the total, much the same as the 2009 figure of 1,075.(For more see this week's Westmeath Examiner)