Significant drop in fraud since the end of the pandemic in Kilkenny

Fraud offences have more than halved in the past two years according to the latest crime statistics.

At a recent meeting of the Joint Policing Committee Detective Inspector Seán O’Meara of Kilkenny Garda Station updated members on the crime statistics from the first three months of the year. The figures revealed that from January to March of this year there were 64 fraud offences reported compared to 123 in the same time period in the previous year.

The incidence of fraud reached an all-time high at the height of the pandemic when 165 fraud offences were reported to gardaí in the first three months of 2021 - an a staggering increase of 302% on the figures from the first three months of 2020.
Det Insp O’Meara outlined to members how, for the first quarter of 2023, gardaí within the Kilkenny and Thomastown Districts recorded a total of 1,021 crime incidents. They also responded to 1,894 calls for service from members of the public through the Regional Control Centre.

Wear yellow and walk on June 21 to support Grow Mental Health Kilkenny

While thefts from shops have increased significantly year on year thefts (other) are almost identical year on year with an increase of just a single theft in the first three months of this year when compared to the same time period last year.

Meanwhile, year on year thefts from MPVS have decreased from 23 last year to 10 in the same period this year. Minor assaults have also remained at a similar level and there is a decrease of one from last year - with 46 minor assaults reported in the first three months of this year compared to 47 in the same time period last year.

The number of reports of assaults causing harm have dropped from 28 from January to March 2022 compared to 18 in the same time period this year.

The incidence of criminal damage remains identical with 68 reported incidents in the first three months of 2022 and 2023. Similarly, the numbers of drivers detected under the influence has also remained at the same level - with 29 reported incidents in the first three months of both years.

The figures from the presentation showed that the number of people with reported simple possession of drugs was 49 for the first there months of this year compared to 48 from last year. These numbers are significantly down when compared to the level of detection in 2021 when there were 63 incidents during the first three months. However this was at the height of Covid when there were significantly more checkpoints in place because of the pandemic. There was a slight increase year on year in the sale and supply of drugs with 17 detections in the first three months of this year compared to 14 during the same time period last year.

There was also a decrease in reported sexual offences with eight incidents reported in the first quarter of 2023 compared to 13 during the same time period the previous year. In total during the first three months of 2023 there were 113 public order offences compared to 117 the previous year.

Det Insp O’Meara also told the meeting that from January to March of this year there were 166 arrests and 109 searches carried out and a total of 73 vehicles were seized.

There were 179 mandatory intoxicating testing checkpoints and 513 breath tests were carried out resulting in four arrests. A further 50 drug tests were carried out with five people arrested.

Superintendent Aidan Brennan told the members that he wanted ‘to breathalyse as many people as I can’ adding that it is one of the most effective measures in place.

A number of community initiatives have also taken place in the first quarter of year including community safety talks and school visits.