Spate of burglaries hits South Offaly
In one incident two masked men fled the scene when the homeowner shouted at them over his CCTV system.
A SPATE of burglaries hit the South Offaly region during recent weeks.
A Garda spokesperson told The Midland Tribune that the first burglary occurred on Sunday October 11 in Sharavogue, Birr when a house was broken into.
Entry was made by breaking the glass of a bedroom window and a quantity of jewellery and cash was taken. The incident happened at 5 in the evening.
Three males were seen running from the property, wearing dark clothing and face coverings.
A second burglary happened at 9 in the evening in the Shannonbridge area on Wednesday October 14, when two masked males entered a house. The homeowner was alerted to the trespass by his CCTV system and he shouted at the masked men through his CCTV system, which resulted in the intruders fleeing the scene without stealing anything.
On Friday October 16 a house was broken into in Syngefield Birr when the glass of a back door was smashed and a quantity of jewellery was taken.
On Friday October 23 at a house in Demesne View, Birr, a rear patio door was smashed to gain entry, between 6pm and 8pm. A quantity of jewellery and cash was stolen.
At some point during Friday and Saturday October 30 and 31 a house in Ballyvora Grove Ferbane was forcibly entered while the homeowners were away on holidays. Entry was gained by smashing the glass of a patio door. The Garda spokesperson said it's not yet known if anything was stolen.
Burglaries in Ireland typically increase by up to 20% starting in October as the autumn and winter seasons arrive. Early darkness makes it easier for burglars to spot which houses are empty. Homes with unlit windows, no cars in the driveway, or lack of interior lighting signal to thieves that residents have not yet returned from work or school. To combat this predictable seasonal trend, the Gardaí launch the winter phase of Operation Thor every October, which runs until the end of March.
The Guards say that during Operation Thor they consistently find that cash and jewellery account for over 50% of all items stolen from Irish homes. Because these items are highly portable, untraceable, and yield immediate financial returns, burglars and organised crime groups (OCGs) rely on distinct pipelines to quickly offload them. Thieves frequently target cash-for-gold outlets, pawn shops, and secondhand jewellers to offload the stolen jewellery.