Report shows increase of burglary in Roscommon and Longford

A report focusing on crime across the country suggests that the Roscommon and Longford Garda Division experienced a 47% increase in burglaries in 2022 compared to 2021 figures.

The PhoneWatch annual burglary report ranks the Longford Roscommon Division as the having the fourth highest rate of increase in the crime in the last year.

Only Mayo (64%), Meath (59%) and Clare (50%) have higher percentage rates of increase over the 12 month period.

Although the report does not show individual figures for the division it does point out that 80% of people have never had a home break-in.

The report reviewed data published over the past 10 years by the Central Statistics Office. It shows that one in every ten homes in Ireland has experienced a burglary in that period, with a total of 182,609.

The PhoneWatch annual burglary report outlines their research into burglary patterns over the past ten years. For the report, they looked at 10 years’ worth of CSO Burglary stats along with their own data from their Dublin based Alarm Receiving Centre and some consumer research conducted through Bounce Insights.

The stats suggest that 3 out of 4 (72%) Irish homeowners are concerned about a break-in in their homes, with over a third (39%) feeling worried when home alone.

The report states: “The time of year has a huge impact on how safe people feel, with over half (58%) feeling least protected throughout the winter months and 64% feeling particularly unsafe at night-time.

“Although 80% of people have never had a home break-in, or a smoke or fire incident (87%), that doesn’t stop over 40% of us regularly asking our neighbours to check in on our homes while we are not there but this does not deter burglars, as they can be aware that a home is left unoccupied and your neighbours can’t protect your home 24/7.”

An Garda Síochána advise homeowners to take simple but effective steps to help avoid the trauma of a burglary

Secure all doors and windows; light up your home; use timer switches when out; store keys safely and away from windows; record details of all valuables; don’t keep large amounts of cash at home; use your alarm even when at home.

By taking some simple precautions you can reduce the risk of being burgled, increase the security of your home and garden and make life more difficult for any would-be intruders.