A NEW analysis carried out by PhoneWatch has revealed that there were 3,181 burglaries in Kerry over past decade.
The analysis, using figures from 2009 to 2018, shows that when compared to the nationwide burglary rate of an average of one in every seven homes or premises being burgled, Kerry is the safest county in Ireland with one in seventeen recorded.
Tralee Garda Station recorded the most burglaries of any of Kerry’s garda stations with 1,043 reported. While Killarney (683) and Listowel (239) were the second and third highest respectively. With just 9, Barraduff received the lowest number of burglary reports for the county.
Continued below…
Dublin accounted for 41% of all burglaries in the country over the past decade, equivalent to 1 in 5 premises in the county.
In total, 245,260 burglaries occurred in Ireland in the 10 years between January 2009 and December 2018. While there were significant variations year-on-year, 2018 saw the lowest number of burglaries for the decade (16,969).
While the darker months have shown higher levels of burglary for many years, this has become a more pronounced trend in recent times. Over the past decade, the research shows that when the clocks go back, until they go forward again, burglary rates have been 31% higher.
Overall, November is the highest month for burglary for many years, accounting for 11% of break-ins on average. In most recent years, there has been a rise in burglaries in January and February, with burglaries during these two months almost doubling over the past decade (+92%).
PhoneWatch also commissioned research on the impact of burglary on homeowners. Of those surveyed, 52% felt the worst impact of a burglary is the idea of a stranger being in their home, significantly ahead of the loss of possessions at 29%.
This sentiment is echoed by those who have been burgled, with 80% saying the lasting impact has been a heightened awareness of strangers in their area.
Burglary is also an event which many homeowners fear, ranking alongside losing one’s job, or getting into financial difficulty, in terms of perceived impact.
When it comes to possessions, it’s the personal items such as heirlooms (23%) or photos (21%) we fear losing the most. Of more replaceable items, over 20% are concerned about their car keys and 9% about credit cards. The analysis also found that 49% of Irish homes have an alarm.