Thefts up 14 per cent in Meath, drug offences rise also

Latest crime figures show that the number of theft and related offences recorded in Meath rose by almost 14 per cent in the year up to end of June, compared to the same period a year ago.

According to the figures released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) for the Meath Garda Division, theft and related offences increased significantly from 2,183 in the year up to the end of June 2023 to 2,478 for the 12 months up to the end of June this year. At the same time burglary and related offences also rose from 374 to 402- an increase of seven per cent year on year. Cases of robbery, extortion and hijacking however, decreased over the period from 62 down to 56.

Other areas that saw a decrease included sex offences down from 103 to 96, drink driving, down from 202 to 196, and arson down from 37 to 36

The number of public order offences recorded jumped from 472 for the year up to the end of June 2023 to 565 for the 12 months up to the end of June this year- an increase of 20 per cent. Drugs offences for the year rose from 424 to 447- a rise of five per cent.

Looking at the three-month period from April to June of this year compared to the same period a year ago, the number of sexual offences dropped from 28 to 15. Theft and related offences remained at 629 for the three month period in both 2023 and 2024, while the number of robbery extortion and hijacking offences also remained unchanged at 13 for the quarter.

Controlled drugs offences reduced from 112 in the second quarter of 2023 to 98 for the same period this year.

Detections of drink driving in the second quarter of this year were 49, down from 55 last year.

Public order offences between April and June fell slightly from 141 last year to 132 this year.