New figures have shown an alarming increase in the number of burglaries taking place across Ireland, compared to years prior.
Well-known home security company, Phone Watch, has described the hike in numbers as ‘worrying’ and is giving expert advice to homeowners to help them avoid falling victim.
According to the latest CSO statistics on burglary, there was a 10 per cent increase in burglaries in 2022 compared to 2021.
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This is the first annual increase in the rate of burglaries for five years and the new statistics reveal that there were nearly 9,500 burglaries nationwide throughout 2022.
The increase in burglary rates is widespread across the country, with a large majority (21 of the 28) of Garda Divisions reporting a year-on-year increase.
The counties with the highest increase in burglary rates in 2022 were Meath with a 34 per cent increase followed, closely by Mayo with a 33 per cent increase.
Kerry saw a 28 per cent increase, and Kildare 26 per cent while Dublin and its regions saw a 13 per cent increase from 2021 to 2022. In contrast, there were some counties that had decreases in the rate of burglaries, Sligo and Leitrim decreased by 18 per cent, Cork North decreased by 14 per cent and Galway decreased by 8 per cent.
There are a number of ways we can protect our homes. A lot of these come down to common sense.
Speaking about the most recent figures for 2022, Eoin Dunne, Managing Director of PhoneWatch said: "It’s worrying to see a 33 per cent increase in the nationwide burglary rate and indeed an increase across most counties in Ireland.
"If this rate of increase was to continue until the end of the year, there would be approximately 11,500 burglaries in 2022.
"At PhoneWatch, our aim is never to scare or unnecessarily frighten people, but to make them aware of the realities of burglary so that they can take the preventative measures to help prevent such occurrences.
"Above all else, PhoneWatch want people to feel safe in their homes. We are reminding all homeowners to take simple but effective steps to help avoid the trauma of a burglary, especially as the dark evenings close in."
PhoneWatch encourages people to:
Lock doors and windows even when at home
Leave lights on in the hallway for example during the darker evenings. A handy way to do this is to link your lights to smart plugs, so they can be put on a timer
Always keep a close eye on candles and electrical items and ensure they are turned off at night
Never leave valuable items on display – they are too visible and are asking to be taken
Ensure your smoke alarm is working well and regularly change the batteries
Repeatedly research shows that people with a monitored alarm are less likely to be burgled. When comparing the data from the PhoneWatch Alarm Receiving Centre to the national burglary stats, we can see that PhoneWatch homes are 4.5 times less likely to be burgled
Remember to always arm your alarm, at night and even when you’re popping out for short periods of time
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