THERE was a general decrease in crime in the county between 2022 and pre-Covid levels in 2019 according to figures released this morning.
Kerry Garda Chief Superintendent Padraic Powell gave a presentation on the figures at the Joint Policing Committee meeting at Kerry County Council building.
He was comparing figures in Kerry for the first 11 months in 2022 (from January 1 to November 30) to the full 12 months in 2019, before Covid restrictions came into effect during periods in 2020 and 2021.
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The figures revealed that in the categories of Property Crime; Criminal Damage and Public Order and Drugs and Offensive Weapons, offences had decreased by -6%, -9% and -11%, but Crimes Against The Person offences were up 9%.
Burglaries were down -37% from 230 to 145; theft from vehicle incidents dropped a massive 70% from 120 to just 36. Thefts from shops though rose 19% from 469 in 2019 to 556 this year.
Assaults causing harm rose by 18%, from 135 to 159, with minor assaults up by 4% from 435 to 454.
Possession of drugs for personal use offences were down from 543 to 473, a drop of 13% while Possession of drugs for sale or supply offences rose by 6% from 79 to 84. There was a fall in Possession of offensive weapons (not firearms) offences from 53 to 43 (-19%).
Arson offences were down 44%, from 18 to 10 while criminal damage offences were up 10% from 342 to 375.
Public order offences fell from 630 to 524, a drop of 17%, Drunkenness offences also dropped -15% from 522 to 445.
Driving while intoxicated offences were down 17%, from 287 to 239. Chief Supt Powell said two-thirds of these offences were drink driving and one third driving under the influence of drugs.
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