Winter robberies will be more than expected; Garda urged people to be cautious

DUBLIN: Garda warns against robbery during the winter. Robberies and related crimes usually increase in winter. Garda reminded to be extra careful this time.

Operation Thor has been launched to prevent theft. It will end in March. A Garda spokesman said Operation Thor, which has been running for five years, has significantly reduced the rate of winter thefts.

During the winter, most burglaries occur between 4pm and 9pm. 42.4% of robberies took place during these hours. Garda said more robberies are likely on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Garda’s instructions to prevent robbery:

• Turn on some lights
• Use timer switches
• Lock all doors and windows
• Use an alarm
• Store keys away from windows
• Don’t keep large amounts of cash or jewellery in the house

As a part of Operation Thor, throughout the winter, Assistant Commissioner John O’Driscoll will meet with the Garda Analyst Service and those in charge of Roads Policing in each region. The Bureau of Criminal Assets (CAB) and the Forensic Science Ireland (FSI) will also attend these meetings.

Home theft during the covid-19 pandemic has dropped significantly. This may be due to the fact that people were at home as they had no work, no travel, no school and no business.

Statistics from the Garda Síochána Analysis Service (GSAS) show that thefts fell sharply in March and April. From March to August, residential burglaries were reported 43.1% lower than the same period in 2019.

From 2016 to 2019, the fewest burglaries occurred in June (7% of annual burglaries), while most burglaries occurred in November (9.7% of annual burglaries). The average number of robberies in November was 38% higher than in June. This represents an average of 334 burglaries.