Rise in thefts linked to cost-of-living crisis, says Garda Commissioner Drew Harris

 9th November 2022

Garda Commissioner Drew Harris has linked the cost-of-living crisis to a sharp rise in the number of thefts.

High inflation levels are also being blamed for the increase in thefts from shops being reported since last April.

Gardaí have warned of an expected seasonal rise in break-ins over the coming months. There were 41 arrests across Dublin this week targeting suspects for burglaries and thefts.

The soaring cost of fuel, electricity and other household goods has led to a decline in social spending and increased demands on mental health services.

Now it has emerged the cost-of-living crisis could be having a direct effect on crime rates.

In the 12-month period to last September, property crime increased by 35pc compared with the same period last year.

This includes a 40pc jump in the number of thefts from shop, while the theft of other property has risen by 61pc.

The figures were revealed in Mr Harris’s latest report to the Policing Authority, in which he briefs the oversight body on a range of matters every month.

The report notes that, since April, thefts from shops have been “higher than at any point during the past five years”.

It also says this trend “may be linked to recent high levels of inflation and the current cost-of-living crisis”.

The most recent data avail-able from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) shows 9,048 theft offences were reported in Dublin between last April and June.

This equates to just under 100 thefts a day across the six garda divisions in the capital. In the same period 1,031 thefts recorded in Limerick and 1,361 across Co Cork.

Mr Harris’s report also notes that most crime categories have returned to pre-pandemic levels, while in some cases they have increased beyond 2019 rates.

While burglary offences are well below pre-pandemic levels, residential break-ins have increased by 17pc in the past year.

Gardaí are warning this trend is expected to increase in the coming months in line with seasonal patterns.

To combat this spike, gardaí have targeted a number of burglary gangs and offenders through Operation Thor, which was set up in 2015 to deal with growing break-in rates across the country.

In late September, a meeting was held between senior detectives, gardaí in charge of roads policing and the Assistant Commissioner for Organised and Serious Crime, Paul Cleary, to review the garda approach and plan actions against burglary gangs.

The latest garda offensive was carried out this week when the 41 people were arrested across Dublin in relation to a number of investigations.

Detectives based in Dun Laoghaire and Dundrum arrested 28 people for crimes including burglary, theft and fraud in south-east Dublin.

A garda spokesman said that throughout the operation, “burglary patrols, both covert and high visibility, were carried out along with a series of anti-crime checkpoints”.

A similar initiative in north Dublin resulted in 13 people being arrested for a range of crimes including burglary, theft, car robberies and trespass.

Detective Superintendent David Kennedy, who oversaw the operation, said it focused on “crime prevention and protecting communities in conjunction with crime investigation and operational activity”.

“The local communities of Raheny, Clontarf and Howth will continue to see visible focused patrols at specific times of day, targeting burglary related crime,” he said.