CRIME reported in Fermanagh has rocketed over the last twelve months. Fresh figures released by the PSNI show Fermanagh to have the highest percentage increase in reported crime across the North.
The figures running from September 2018 to August 2019 demonstrate a 13.8 percent rise in Police recorded crime locally. This is more than four times as great an increase as that of neighbouring council area Mid Ulster which recorded an increase of 3.4 percent. Meanwhile, Derry and Strabane recorded a 5.8 percent increase for the same period.
Police note that over the last year increased crime levels were seen in violence against the person offences, robbery and drug offences, while burglary offences showed falling levels.
104,112 crimes were recorded in the North over this time, an increase in excess of 5000 on the previous 12 months.
Speaking in regard to the jump in recorded crime locally Councillor Thomas O’Reilly said, “Different crime figures relay different messages,” he added that the Policing and Community Safety Partnership have worked on initiatives to outline the importance of reporting crime. “That is certainly a factor there. Crime that is happening within communities, people are more confident to report that and I think that is where you see a higher level of crime being reported.
“What I am interested in is finding out is how the Police have performed in regard to getting convictions and unfortunately that isn’t as easily tracked as you may think due to the delay between Police charging someone and then them going through the criminal justice system.”
Over a summer when criminal activity were being reported to the Herald on a weekly basis, Cllr O’Reilly noted, “What there is now is a greater awareness within the community to be vigilant. I think where you are seeing burglary and so forth, these are people that come into the county and burgle in a number of areas and then move on quickly.
“It is about the use of social media to be aware of something happening in your area and getting that information as quickly as possible to Police so they can in a responsible time frame intercept these people.”
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