Burglaries Increase by 10% in 2022 – First Annual Increase in 5 Years

In 2022 we were back to living our lives and getting out and about again, but unfortunately during this time burglars were also on the move. According to the latest CSO statistics on burglary, there was an 10% increase in burglaries in 2022 compared to 2021. This is the first annual increase in the rate of burglaries for five years!

The new statistics released by the CSO reveals that there were nearly 9,500 burglaries nationwide throughout 2022. PhoneWatch, Ireland’s leading provider of monitored home alarm systems wants to encourage homeowners to remain vigilant and continue to protect the people and things they cherish most; we want to mitigate any further increases and work towards reducing incident rates throughout the country.

Eoin Dunne, Managing Director of PhoneWatch, said “The rate of burglaries across the country has increased by 10% year on year – the first annual increase since 2017. The number of incidents is a reminder to all homeowners to always remain vigilant with their home security. A single burglary is one too many, we hear from homeowners time and again about  the severe emotional impact of someone breaking into their home. We want to urge all homeowners to take simple but necessary steps to help avoid the trauma of a burglary incident, especially as the summer holiday season will soon be upon us.”

This significant annual increase in burglaries comes at a time when almost 3 out of 4 (72%) homeowners admit that they are concerned or very concerned about being the victim of a burglary. This concern is slightly more prevalent in urban areas (76%) than it is among rural communities (67%)*

*Research conducted by Bounce on behalf of PhoneWatch Ltd, October 2022

The increase in burglary rates is widespread across the country, with a large majority (21 of the 28) of Garda Divisions reporting a year-on-year increase. The counties with the highest increase in burglary rates in 2022 were Meath with a 34% increase followed, closely by Mayo with a 33% increase. Kerry saw a 28% increase, and Kildare 26% while Dublin and its regions saw a 13% increase from 2021 to 2022. In contrast, there were some counties who had decreases in the rate of burglaries, Sligo and Leitrim decreased by 18%, Cork North decreased by 14% and Galway decreased by 8%.  But on a national level, the increase is striking.

PhoneWatch’s mission is to make sure people always feel safe in their homes. There are some simple but effective measures you can take at home to ensure you feel confident and comfortable when you are at home or away.

• Check windows and doors: Always ensure your front and back doors are locked and windows shut, even if you are only leaving your house for a short time. PhoneWatch analysis shows that the majority of burglars gain entry through the front or back doors and yet a quarter of people still leave these unlocked.
• Leave a light on: The most common time for a burglary is between 5pm and 11pm. During this time, you should make sure your home is well lit up. You could invest in smart plugs and set certain lights on a timer, to turn on and make it appear as if you are in your home.
• Turn on your alarm when you’re at home: With half of all burglaries occurring while people are in their homes, it is just as important to lock your doors while you are at home and turn on your alarm.
• Don’t share holiday updates: If you are going on holidays, don’t post about it on social media until you are back, as you are highlighting that your home is vacant.
• Ask a neighbour: If you are away from your home for several days, ask a neighbour could they bring in your post, so that it doesn’t pile up and look as if there is nobody home.
• Don’t keep spare keys outside: Instead ensure your neighbour has a spare set of keys for emergencies. With PhoneWatch keytags your chosen family members and neighbours can arm and disarm your alarm and you can view activity through our handy app.
• Get an alarm and use it: Fitting and maintaining a monitored alarm system is an excellent way to protect your home, it acts as a strong deterrent to potential burglars and provides peace of mind knowing that your home is being protected 24 hours a day. PhoneWatch has an all-inclusive home safety system that gives you more control over protecting yourself and your family for burglary and smoke incidents and we respond to all alarm activations within 15 seconds. It is proven that you are 4.5 times less likely to be burgled with a PhoneWatch monitored alarm system, according to data from the CSO recorded crime statistics 2022 and PhoneWatch Alarm Receiving Centre Data November 2022.

PhoneWatch urges homeowners to protect their homes and the precious people inside by installing a monitored home alarm from PhoneWatch. It gives you total peace of mind with quick response to burglary and smoke incidents, so when you need it, help is always close by. For more information on regional burglary rates and PhoneWatch’s 2022 burglary report and the benefits of monitored home security systems, visit www.phonewatch.ie/burglaryreport/.