Burglaries and theft of alcohol up - gardaí

Burglaries and theft of alcohol from major stores are up, but thefts from vehicles are down in the Mullingar and Athlone areas, according to the latest figures released.

Addressing the Joint Policing Committee meeting on Monday, Chief Superintendent Fergus Healy said there 123 burglaries in the last 12 months, compared to 94 for the previous year, but a 19% drop in thefts from vehicles.

There were 277 thefts from shops – 151 in Athlone and 126 in Mullingar.

There were 258 crimes against people in the last year – 136 in Athlone and 122 in Mullingar – and as these crimes cause people anxiety, they are of particular concern to gardaí.

The chief superintendent reported a significant increase in drug dealing detections and in the quantity of drugs seized. Drug driving is now more prevalent than drink driving because people do not realise how long drugs stay in the system, he continued.

He urged people to take responsibility for organising transport to and from events during the fleadh.

The chief superintendent told the meeting of a successful garda chase across the county which resulted in the apprehension of a travelling criminal gang in Naas. Their apprehension is likely to effect crime figures doing forward, he suggested.