The world was a very different place in the years 2020 and 2021. During those years, serious protections were put into place to handle Covid-19. There were frequent roadblocks and a much higher presence of on-street patrols from Garda. At the time, lockdowns were prevalent, and workplaces allowed employees to work from home.
Naturally, these factors lead to a significant drop in home intruders. It wasn’t because the people willing to commit these crimes had gone away; it simply meant that there was a higher opportunity that they would get caught.
By the time 2022 came along, most of those preventions had dropped off or gone away. And with them, the occurrences of home break-ins began to rise once more. According to the Central Statistics Office, incidents of burglary and related offences have increased by 9% over the year.
If you go further with the numbers and compare the first three months of 2021 with the first three months of 2022, you see an increase closer to 35%.
Home Intruders Are Bold Again
Now that Covid measures have lifted, there’s a return to crime that had taken a dip when they were first in place. Homeowners are much more likely to see a rise in home break-ins than in prior years. Burglars are less likely to be caught in the act, so they’ve returned to their old tricks.
It’s not the first time home break-ins have been rising in Ireland. In years past, Garda formulated a program known as Operation Thor. With this program, the Garda attempted to prevent crime before it happened.
They had determined that with the reduction in daylight hours during winter, a 20% increase in crimes like burglaries was possible. In light of that, they began targeting known gangs using high-powered cars as getaway vehicles.
Operation Thor operates mainly between October and March, when it’s believed these gangs are the most active and prone to committing crimes such as burglaries and other thefts, such as stealing vehicles to ship out of the country.
Home break-ins have been reported more commonly in Dublin, Tipperary, and Limerick. Burglary gangs will study your routine to decide the best time to break in, so you should be vigilant and do your best to secure your home. Most home intruders will take advantage of an unsecured front door or window, using their bodies to gain access.
Prevention of Home Break-Ins
With home intruders back in force, homeowners would benefit from following the tips and tricks listed by Garda’s anti-burglary awareness campaign. Remember to secure all doors and windows, invest in a security program if you can afford it, and make your house appear lit and occupied.
“Lock Up Light Up” refers to the advice of locking and securing your home and leaving the lights on so that it appears as if people are home. Burglars are much more inclined to rob a house with no one inside it. They are less likely to be caught, then.
