Burglaries Increase By 4.12% Nationwide Year On Year According To Eircom Phonewatch

Nov. 2, 2011 - PRLog -- DUBLIN & NEIGHBOURING COUNTIES ACCOUNT FOR 63% OF BURGLARIES NATIONWIDE


2011 report reveals November is the most burgled month of the year


November 2nd 2011: Burglaries in Ireland have increased by 4.12% in the twelve months between July 2010 and June 2011, according to the latest figures published in the 2011 eircom PhoneWatch Burglary Report*. Dublin continues to top Ireland’s burglary table, with burglaries increasing 13% this year and accounting for 42% of burglaries nationwide. When this figure is combined with the surrounding commuter belt (Wicklow, Kildare, Meath and Louth) it climbs to 63% of all burglaries nationwide.

Worryingly, the 2011 report revealed that November is the most likely month of the year for burglaries to occur. This indicates that home owners should remain security aware as we move into the winter months, especially those without a monitored alarm.The 2011 report also reinforces previous findings as once again it determined that burglars no longer strike solely under the cover of darkness. For the fifth year in a row, the most likely time of day to be burgled is between 12pm and 4pm (23%).

The 2011 eircom PhoneWatch Burglary Report, the most comprehensive report of burglaries in Ireland, also reveals that an average value of €1,868 was taken from each home burgled. This equates to approximately €48m worth of goods stolen from residential households in Ireland in the twelve months between July 2010 – June 2011 - a 66% decrease on last year.

Speaking at the launch of the 2011 Burglary Report, Eoin Dunne General Manager of eircom PhoneWatch commented; “Over the eleven years that we have reported on burglary in Ireland, one insight remains constant – burglary regardless of boom or bust is a crime phenomenon, which is simply not going away. The figures consistently demonstrate that the vast majority of burglaries take place while the home is occupied, thus increasing the risk of confrontation and personal danger, so it is of particular importance that people become more security aware while they are in the home.”

“This year’s findings also indicate that burglars are opportunistic than ever gaining entry through front and rear doors and taking lower value items. As November has been found to be the busiest time for burglars home owners should be aware of the need to keep their home safe and secure, whether they are at home or not.” he stated.

Dublin continues to top Ireland’s burglary table, with burglaries increasing 13% this year and accounting for 42% of burglaries nationwide. However, overall the number of burglaries outside of Dublin has fallen, with statistics indicating a 1.7% decrease year on year. Outside Dublin, the most targeted counties were Kildare (7.9%), Wicklow (4.9%), Meath (4.2%) and Cork (4%).  

Within Dublin, the Southside of the city accounts for 63% of all burglaries committed – an increase on last year’s figure of 53% - while the Northside of the city accounted for 37% a decrease on last year’s statistic of 47%. The postcode of South County Dublin is the most burgled area in Dublin (Dun Laoghaire, Dalkey, Killiney). The areas least likely to be burgled are Dublin 10 (Ballyfermot and Cherry Orchard) and Dublin 20 (Chapelizod and Palmerstown).

Other key findings from the eircom PhoneWatch Burglary Report include:
•   For nine of the past eleven years semi-detached homes represent the most targeted type of dwelling (21%)
•   Thursday, which accounts for 16.5% of all burglaries in 2011 is the most targeted day of week
•   For the fifth year in a row, three bedroom homes remain the most targeted (43.73%)
•   74% of homes burgled did not have a monitored house alarm in place – further highlighting the need for homeowners with no intruder alarm system to be more diligent

The eircom PhoneWatch Burglary Report, which has been published annually for the last ten years, was launched to raise overall awareness of the need for increased household security in Ireland. To view burglary statistics for your county or area, or to access additional home security tips, visit http://www.phonewatch.ie or call eircom PhoneWatch staff on 1850 500 900.


-ENDS-


Notes to Editors
      
•   The eircom PhoneWatch Burglary Report was conducted by the OSG Group, the country’s leading loss adjustor, based on a sample of more than 21,900 household insurance claims in the twelve months between 1st July 2010 and 30th June 2011.
•   Interviews with Eoin Dunne, General Manager of eircom PhoneWatch and reformed burglar, Mike Fraser, are available upon request.
•   Photography of Mike Fraser at the eircom PhoneWatch launch will be issued FOC by Corporate PR.


About eircom PhoneWatch:

•   eircom PhoneWatch is the leading home and business security expert with almost twenty years experience in providing effective peace of mind for customers.  
•   As Ireland’s largest provider of integrated alarm systems and monitoring solutions the protected customer base represents over 100,000 homes and businesses nationwide.
•   eircom PhoneWatch offers a complete security solution – installation, monitoring and servicing is all provided by highly qualified and experienced staff. Our knowledge, expertise and track record enables all our systems to be tailored to specific customer needs and budgets.


Security Checklist:

Reformed burglar and now established TV presenter and anti-burglary expert Mike Fraser was at the launch of the eircom PhoneWatch Burglary Report 2011  Confirming the opportunistic nature of burglars, Mike offers the following easy to follow advice to householders to make their home immediately more secure.


Other published burglary statistics:
CSO Recorded Crime statistics indicate that 25,839 burglaries were reported during this period (July 2010 and June 2011). This represents a 2.65% decrease on the 2009/2010 figures for the same period.


For further information, please contact:
Joanne O’Sullivan, Edelman, TEL: 01 678 9333/086 1566985, joanne.osullivan@edelman.com
Nora Lawton, Edelman, TEL: 01 678 9333/086 8292493 nora.lawton@edelman.com

# # #

eircom PhoneWatch is a provider of integrated alarm systems and monitoring solutions in Ireland. They protect over 100,000 homes and businesses nationwide, offering an end to end security solution – installing, monitoring and servicing alarm systems.