by Louise Doyle
GARDAÍ in Donegal are ramping up their winter operation in a bid to tackle the rising number of house burglaries.
Recent figures from Central Statistics Office (CSO) revealed Donegal’s burglary rate had seen a nine per cent rise, with 146 burglaries recorded between July 2022 and June 2023.
Sligo and Leitrim had the highest increase in the period from July 2022 to June 2023, compared to the previous 12 months, with a 25 per cent increase (162 burglaries) in that region.
More than 9,000 Irish homeowners experienced a burglary in their homes in the course of the 12 month-timeframe.
While the CSO figures indicate the national burglary rate during the 12-month period decreased by eight per cent, a number of counties, including Donegal, experienced significant rises in the number of reported break-ins.
Operation Thor was established eight years ago to target home burglaries.
The Winter Phase has been underway since October 1.
As part of Operation Thor, checkpoints and patrols will also take place throughout the winter during day time and night time hours.
Issuing advice, a garda spokesperson said: “Intelligence is gathered in relation to known offenders and we issue crime prevention advice in various ways.Everyone in the community can help us target burglars by following our simple steps to protect their home over the winter months, when burglaries traditionally tend to rise.”
Gardaí also advise people to turn on some lights in their home when they are not there and use timer switches and motion detectors.
Residents are also urged to store keys away from windows and do not store large amounts of cash or jewellery in their home, ensure all doors and windows are locked and use a house alarm.
A garda spokesperson said: “Lock your garden shed as tools can be taken from it and then used to break into your home. Lock your vehicle and do not store cash or valuables in it.
“Always contact Gardaí immediately if you observe any sort of suspicious activity in your area. Take note of registration numbers, description of people, direction of travel as every small piece of information provided can be of great use to us.
“Watch out for neighbours, particularly those who are elderly or vulnerable.”
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