THERE has been a significant increase in the number of blackmail and extortion offences recorded in the Donegal Garda Division, according to the lastest crime statistics from the Central Statistics Office (CSO).
Incidents of blackmail and extortion jumped by 266 per cent with just four cases between January and September 2022 compared to 33 incidents over that period in 2023.
There was also an increase in the number of fraud and deception offences rising from 204 incidents over the nine month period in 2022 to 213 in 2023.
The Donegal Division saw a 69 per cent increase in offences relating to weapons and explosives, up from 29 offences recorded in 2022 to 49 in 2023.
Burglaries were up by 14 per cent with 108 offences recorded in the Donegal Division in 2023 compared to 95 between January and September 2022.
Thefts were up 26 per cent with 590 offences recorded between the first and third quarters of 2023 compared to 467 in 2022.
Incidents of criminal damage were up 14 per cent with 468 offences recorded up to the end of September 2023.
Meanwhile offences while in custody or in breach of the courts jumped by 36 per cent, from 89 to 121.
Downward trends were recorded across a number of areas including drink and drug driving.
Drink driving offences were down by twenty per cent from 247 incidents in 2022 compared to 198 in 2023.
Drug driving was down by 13 per cent from 89 over that period in 2022 to 77 incidents in 2023.
Sexual offences dropped by ten per cent from 130 in the first three quarters of 2022 to 117 last year.
Threats to kill and cause serious harm were down thirty per cent from 85 to 59.
Harassment offences dropped by seven per cent with 69 offences recorded over the nine month period in 2023 compared to 74 in 2022.
Offences relating to assault causing harm were down 23 per cent from 190 and 146. Other assaults were slightly down from 352 to 349.
Controlled drug offences in the county were down by eight per cent from 288 to 265.
Possession of drugs for sale and supply was down by 33 per cent with 45 offences recorded between January and September 2023.
There was no change in the number of offences relating to possession of drugs for personal use with 216 offences recorded in both years.
Public order offences were down slightly with 803 incidents recorded over that period last year.
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