Statistics record rise in serious crime in Galway last year

The number of crimes reported in the Galway Garda Division in 2019 was down almost 17% on the previous year, according to new figures from the Central Statistics Office.

The CSO figures show that last year, there were a total of 8,126 crimes recorded in Galway, down just under 17% from 9,780 in 2018.

However, the Galway Division – which covers the city and county – saw an increase in serious crimes such as rapes and sexual assaults.

There were 188 sexual offences recorded here last year, up 27% from 148 the previous year. These included 163 rapes and sexual assaults and 25 ‘other offences’, which can include incest, child abuse material and gross indecency.

Endangerment cases – where there is potential for serious harm or death – were up more than fourfold from three to thirteen.

Fraud offences – which include deception and forgery – were up from 240 to 360, an increase of 50%, while drugs offences saw an increase of just under 5%, from 538 to 563.

An analysis of the CSO data by the Galway City Tribune shows that by far, the most common offences the Gardaí had to deal with in 2019 were disorderly conduct (1,557 cases); handling of stolen property (1,055 cases); shoplifting (829); assault (829) and criminal damage (794 cases).

Gardaí in Galway also investigated very serious crimes, including 44 threats to kill (up from 27); 53 cases of arson (up from 36); 182 assaults causing harm (unchanged from 2018); three cases of false imprisonment (down from six) and a single human trafficking offence (there were none recorded in 2018).

The statistics also show that last year, there were 301 cases recorded as ‘offences while in custody and breaches of court orders’, which was up from 289 in 2018.

The data also shows there were 38 robbery, extortion or hijacking offences last year, which was down 22.5% from 49 the previous year.

There were 23 cases recorded as ‘offences against government and its agents’, up 64%. These can include non-compliance with the direction of a Garda; wasting police time; nuisance phone calls and breaches of the Offences Against the State Acts.

There was a decrease in drink driving offences – down 5% from 395 to 375, while there were 16 cases of driving under the influence of drugs (up from seven).

For drugs cases, there was an overall increase in recorded offences of 4.6% – possession for personal use was up 12% to 415 offences; possession for sale or supply was down 14% to 117 and cultivation/manufacture of drugs offences were down 36% to seven. There were 23 ‘other drugs offences’, up 15%, and these can include forging prescriptions or obstructing a search.

Social code offences – which can cover anything from begging and indecency to bigamy and bestiality – halved from 68 to 33.

The CSO figures on crimes recorded by Gardaí come with a ‘health warning’ – it suspended publication of them in 2014 after problems were discovered with the Garda PULSE system, the only source of recorded crime available to the CSO.

In 2015, further “quality issues” emerged with the PULSE data, and the CSO suspended publication of data in early 2017, pending the completion of an internal review nationally of homicide incidents and other concerns which the agency had raised.

The CSO has now recommenced publishing statistics, branding them as ‘Under Reservation’, which means that revisions can be expected.