Tipperary garda chief reports rise in assault, public order and drugs crimes

Crime figures  in the Tipperary garda division saw increases in assaults, public  order offences and in drugs for sale and supply.

A Joint Policing Committee meeting   in Carrick on Suir was told by Chief Superintendent Catherine Kehoe that detection rates in the majority of categories in the Tipperary division were up on national   detection rates.

The meeting was told that there was a 6% reduction in property crime  with cases falling from 1,477 in 2017 to 1,386 in 2018, with Tipperary division detection rates  for property crime standing at 32%   and  the national figure at 24%.

Burglaries in Tipperary were also down from 342 incidents in 2017 to 330 in 2018  with Tipperary detection rates at 23% compared to a national figure of 12%.

The figures presented to the meeting showed that thefts from shops were down 9% (434 down to 397), theft from the person was down 14%  (14 down to 12),  and theft from vehicles were down 13% (182 down to 159).

Criminal damage cases were up by 2% (422 in 2018 compared to 412 in 2017), with a detection rate of 25% recorded in the Tipperary division  and 20% nationally.

Cases of possession of drugs were down 8% while cases of having drugs for sale and supply in the division were up 6% (111 in 2017 and 118 in 2018).

Operation Overwatch  targeting the sale and suply of drugs in South Tipperary and South Kilkenny  resulted in the seizure of €90,000 worth of heroin, while another operation saw €2,400 worth of heroin and cocaine seized in Clonmel.

Public order cases in Tipperary division rose from 787 in 2017 to 908 in 2018  (a 15% increase). The number of assaults in the Tipperary division rose with an increse also in assaults causing harm from 111 in 2017 to 133(a 21% increase).

In the year to date there had been eleven  fatal traffic colisions in the Tipperary division compared to eight in 2017. There were seventeen serious road traffic collisions in 2018 compared to 22 in 2017.

In the year to date there has been 452 drivers found under the influence of   alcohol compared to a total of 479 for 2017, a figure  which had increased dramatically from 314 in 2016.