Report shows worrying increase in burglaries in Kilkenny
By Angela Doyle
Kilkenny recorded a 94.1 per cent increase in the incidence of burglary in the last 12 months bucking the national trend that saw a general decrease in burglaries throughout the country.
This figure represents 3.3 per cent of burglaries in the counties outside Dublin.
This information is recorded in the 2009 Eircom Phonewatch Burglary Report which also reveals that there has been a massive shift in security consciousness amongst Irish consumers.
The report – which tracked burglaries between July 2008 and June 2009 - also revealed that March was the most targeted month for burglaries in Kilkenny.
More than three-quarters of the Irish population (77 per cent) feel that they are more at risk from theft in recessionary times, while a further 40 per cent feel more at risk from violent crime, and 71 per cent of the population believe that crime as a whole has increased in Ireland since the recession officially began in 2008.
Now in its ninth year of publication, the 2009 Burglary Report revealed a heightened awareness of security issues and a strong desire to protect what we already have.
The report shows for the third year running, a staggering eight out of 10 burglaries took place while their occupants were at home, suggesting that burglars are not deterred by home occupancy when selecting their target and that there are greater things at risk than personal possessions.
The Eircom Phonewatch Burglary Report - which has been published annually for the last nine years - was launched to raise overall awareness of the need for increased household security in Ireland.