Louth Garda Division sees large increase in robbery offences in first half of 2022

Louth Garda Division saw a 50% increase in Robbery, extortion and hijacking offences in the first six months of 2022 compared to the same period in 2021, according to figures released this week by the Central Statistics Office (CSO)

In the CSO release, Recorded Crime Q2 2022, figures for the Louth Garda Division, show that 33 Robbery, extortion and hijacking offences were recorded in the first six months (Q1 and Q2) of 2022, an increase of 50% on the 22 recorded in the first six months of 2021.

It also shows that in the year to end of June 2022, 60 robbery, extortion and hijacking offences were recorded. This is up from 38 in the 12 months to the end of June 2021 - an increase of 58% on the 12 months previous.

Of the 33 offences recorded in the Louth Garda Division in the first six months of 2022, ten were robbery from the person, down one on the same period last year; 12 were robbery of an establishment or institution, up from four during the first six months of 2021; seven were blackmail or extortion offences, up from five in 2021; three were carjacking, hijacking/unlawful seizure of aircraft/vessel offences, up from two in 2021; and one was robbery of cash or goods in transit, up from zero in the first six months of 2021.

Recorded Crime statistics continue to be categorised by the CSO as Statistics Under Reservation. This categorisation indicates that the quality of these statistics do not meet the standards required of official statistics published by the CSO. For more information on this see https://www.cso.ie/en/methods/crime/statisticsunderreservationfaqs/.