Burglaries down Garda boss tells JPC

The number of burglaries recorded in Westmeath during the three months of this year from July to September was down 66 per cent on the same period last year, Chief Superintendent Lorraine Wheatley has said.

Addressing a meeting of the Westmeath Joint Policing Committee (JPC), Chief Supt Wheatley told members that there were 89 burglaries reported between July 1 and September 30 of this year, while last year’s figure was 148.

Another significant change was in the number of criminal damage incidents recorded, down 34 per cent from last year’s 166 to 124.

What went up, however, was possession of drugs for sale or supply, which last year stood at seven, and this year, 17 incidences, an increase of 143 per cent.

This, Chief Supt Wheatley told the meeting, was probably more down to a greater detection level than an increasing problem.

Theft from MPVs was down from 77 to 65; theft from shops, down from 92 to 81, and thefts from the person, down from seven to two.

“Our focus is very much on crime prevention,” the chief superintendent continued, going on to encourage the public to follow the garda Twitter account, and to like the garda Facebook page.

Deputy Robert Troy was surprised to hear the level of burglaries had fallen, stating that in one night alone, six houses in Streete and Boherquill had been targeted, while Cllr Aengus O’Rourke opined that drugs are the cause of much crime.

Cllr Paddy Hill remarked that people in rural communities are living in fear, and that in the last 12 months, he has not come across one garda checkpoint in north Westmeath.

Cllr Paul Hogan felt there should be a dedicated drugs unit.

Des Sheridan said communities were losing out because of the retirement of older gardaí, who knew their areas well, while Cllr Peter Burke named an area of town which he believes is becoming prone to crime.