Spate of Burglaries in the City

fishy fishy

just heard about a spate of burglaries taking place in the city (westside). Seemingly the people know who is in the house, who is out, when they leave, when they don't.

Be on high alert and watch out for people checking out streets or houses (walking) - if you notice anything suspicious make sure you alert your neighbours and the gardai.

It seems like it is become extremely common (day and night) in the west side area.

biko

That sounds like a rumour but tbh it's not uncommon for visiting gangs from elsewhere to burglarise here. Sure there is a lot of local talent too.
Thread from 2009.
It's been this way for years and still people don't upgrade their home security.

This represents an increase of 9% on the same period last year, and means there is, on average, 12 burglaries carried out in the city every week.

Other key findings from the Eircom PhoneWatch Burglary Report include: For nine of the past 11 years semi-detached homes represent the most targeted type of dwelling (21 per cent); Thursday, which accounts for 16.5 per cent 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 per cent), and 74 per cent of homes burgled did not have a monitored alarm in place.

So yeah, do use caution and keep an eye out and your doors locked.

This year’s findings also indicate that burglars are more opportunistic than ever, gaining entry through front and rear doors and taking lower value items

Fortunately violent burglaries are almost unheard of here so chances of being attacked are very very slim.

fishy fishy

biko, it is definitely not a rumor. In fact there had to be a public meeting called this week because in the west side area for this reason alone. It has gone extremely bad in the last few months. People need to be on the alert - keep a watch out for anybody hovering on the street or looking at houses - LOCALS INCLUDED.

biko

No worries, I'm agreeing with you

Robbo

From the Sentinel yesterday, the Gardai were saying despite this the stats are down. I can only presume that these burglaries are taking place in Hamsterdam and Inspector Bunny Colvin was presenting the stats.

ben.schlomo

Robbo wrote: »

From the Sentinel yesterday, the Gardai were saying despite this the stats are down. I can only presume that these burglaries are taking place in Hamsterdam and Inspector Bunny Colvin was presenting the stats.

Dunno, how is that gonna look when Rawls has the next Commstat meeting?

snubbleste

It's not just the western part of town, the eastern part has been heavily targeted as well. A friend of a friend's friend was broken into and had a television(!) stolen.
The Garda have apparently set up cameras on main routes into galway from other *cough* urban areas.

Criminal gangs from Dublin who are using the M6 for ‘easy access’ to commit burglaries and raids on homes and businesses in Galway are also being watched.
A source told the Connacht Tribune that the cameras have been placed on the M6 and M18 motorways and can record thousands of number plates daily. http://www.galwaynews.ie/25849-garda%C3%AD-deploy-secret-road-cameras-keep-tabs-criminals

fishy fishy

posted this so that people will be aware of their street and what goes on, on it.

It might be a bit of a laugh to some, but while ye are laughing, just look out for your elderly neighbors, and people around you - its won't be quite as funny if they have to go through the trauma of having gurriers in their house.

lucianot

Last Monday at around 4:30pm in a house on the Doughiska road someone broke in. Very visible, lots of traffic.
Most houses are very vulnerable even alarmed.

inisboffin

Several stories from friends of attempted theft in the last month! Mostly West of Corrib (Mincloon, Rahoon) but one East.

A friend disturbed heating oil thieves at night. They were hitting THREE houses at once! Siphons and large drums, as opposed to a tanker draining the tank. The Gardai came and found a bunch of empty cannisters, abandoned as they ran off.

Echoing what fishy fishy said - if we all watch out, particularly for neighbours that are away, and the elderly, it will at least slow this down! :mad:

biko

On lovely days like this many will leave the front door open and move around the house, an easy target for the opportunistic thief that will stick their head in the door and grab whatever is close.
Don't leave keys/handbags just inside the door.

jenno86

A gentleman from an ethnic community called to my door the last day to ask if we were selling the car outside?! Thought he might have been scoping the place to see if anyone was home.

Rob A. Bank

The availabe Burglary statistics from the Galway Garda Division do not suggest that Galway is a particularly bad place to live. There are usually less than 3 a day. In fact there has been an improving trend since Q3 2009.

The number of Aggrevated Burglaries is miniscule apart from a peak of 9 in Q3 of 2009. There is usually about one, or none every three months.

I have been a victim in the past, but you cannot let the 'fear of crime' ruin your life, particularly when statistics do not back up the percieved danger.

It is even more important at a time when politicians seem to have given up on promises to improve peoples lives and rely on fear to manipiulate the populace.

inisboffin

Rob A. Bank wrote: »

The availabe Burglary statistics from the Galway Garda Division do not suggest that Galway is a particularly bad place to live. There are usually less than 3 a day. In fact there has been an improving trend since Q3 2009.

The number of Aggrevated Burglaries is miniscule apart from a peak of 9 in Q3 of 2009. There is usually about one, or none every three months.

I have been a victim in the past, but you cannot let the 'fear of crime' ruin your life, particularly when statistics do not back up the percieved danger.

It is even more important at a time when politicians seem to have given up on promises to improve peoples lives and rely on fear to manipiulate the populace.

Agreed that fear isn't helpful. But if we view the 'watching out' for our neighbours as a positive, rather than a negative thing, I genuinely believe it makes areas nicer to live in..

Sponge Bob

jenno86 wrote: »

A gentleman from an ethnic community called to my door the last day to ask if we were selling the car outside?! Thought he might have been scoping the place to see if anyone was home.

Nope , old cars now have a high resale value as scrap and if it is any way intact ( not crashed) you will get around €80 for even the worst banger that won't start in Galway City. Thats all they are looking for....scrap.

fishy fishy

Rob A. Bank wrote: »

The availabe Burglary statistics from the Galway Garda Division do not suggest that Galway is a particularly bad place to live. There are usually less than 3 a day. In fact there has been an improving trend since Q3 2009.

The number of Aggrevated Burglaries is miniscule apart from a peak of 9 in Q3 of 2009. There is usually about one, or none every three months.

I have been a victim in the past, but you cannot let the 'fear of crime' ruin your life, particularly when statistics do not back up the percieved danger.

It is even more important at a time when politicians seem to have given up on promises to improve peoples lives and rely on fear to manipiulate the populace.

its not about fear. Its about looking out for your neighbour and knowing what is going on on your street. Somebody who takes interest in their street will know if there is somebody hanging around that shouldn't be there.

lucianot

I don't know what is going on more than 20 yards away from my door and I am not sure is up to me to police around. I can't tell for sure who is from the state or not.
The fact is that houses in Ireland are very easy to break in, no bars, nobody pays attention to a ringin alarm, doors wtih glass panels very close to the handles, etc, etc, etc.

fishy fishy

lucianot wrote: »

I don't know what is going on more than 20 yards away from my door and I am not sure is up to me to police around. I can't tell for sure who is from the state or not.
The fact is that houses in Ireland are very easy to break in, no bars, nobody pays attention to a ringin alarm, doors wtih glass panels very close to the handles, etc, etc, etc.

i suppose the robbers are banking on people not knowing what goes on next door. If they realized people were more aware of what is going on, it could make life hard for them. just saying.

lucianot

fishy fishy wrote: »

i suppose the robbers are banking on people not knowing what goes on next door. If they realized people were more aware of what is going on, it could make life hard for them. just saying.

You are relying on just one factor, people interest on a whole neighborhood, to stop this?

inisboffin

lucianot wrote: »

I don't know what is going on more than 20 yards away from my door and I am not sure is up to me to police around. I can't tell for sure who is from the state or not.
The fact is that houses in Ireland are very easy to break in, no bars, nobody pays attention to a ringin alarm, doors wtih glass panels very close to the handles, etc, etc, etc.

I think it depends where you live and the type of relationship you have with your neighbours. Some places people are way more attentive and 'neighbourly' than others. And neighbourly is different to nosey.

jkforde

lucianot wrote: »

I don't know what is going on more than 20 yards away from my door and I am not sure is up to me to police around. I can't tell for sure who is from the state or not.

ah yes, the grand children of Randian individualism bears fruit. I'm Alright Seamus rules OK.

http://vimeo.com/29865018

lucianot

jkforde wrote: »

ah yes, the grand children of Randian individualism bears fruit. I'm Alright Seamus rules OK.

http://vimeo.com/29865018

I don't understand all that you wrote, sorry.

You can't blame this on just one factor like people not being "neighbourly", that is naive.
Just by expecting everybody to be vigilant do you think the problem will go away? Are you all day at home? Are you all day watching through the window? Do you have the time? Do you know all of the people living in your state? Really? Do they really care about you at all or is it just nice hypocresy?
Also why do you imply people who is not sociable or not "neighbourly" will not stop a criminal act or help others in distress?
There are other factors in play, work on all of them, not just the eventual witness.

fishy fishy

lucianot wrote: »

I don't understand all that you wrote, sorry.

You can't blame this on just one factor like people not being "neighbourly", that is naive.
Just by expecting everybody to be vigilant do you think the problem will go away? Are you all day at home? Are you all day watching through the window? Do you have the time? Do you know all of the people living in your state? Really? Do they really care about you at all or is it just nice hypocresy?
Also why do you imply people who is not sociable or not "neighbourly" will not stop a criminal act or help others in distress?
There are other factors in play, work on all of them, not just the eventual witness.

where on earth is anybody "blaming" people not being neighbourly. I think you definitely misread or misunderstood the thread if thats what you think.

However, lots of these burglaries are "local" ie. the people are local - they know when people are leaving their house, when the house is empty, etc.

If they thought that THEY were being watched while they are watching various houses they would be less inclined to do it.

I can understand your point tho - not knowing or caring what your heighbour is doing. Some places may be like that, but some places might have some sort of community spirit and be on alert now that they are aware of what is going on.

Raging_Ninja

fishy fishy wrote: »

where on earth is anybody "blaming" people not being neighbourly.

this:

jkforde wrote: »

ah yes, the grand children of Randian individualism bears fruit. I'm Alright Seamus rules OK.

http://vimeo.com/29865018

fishy fishy

Raging_Ninja wrote: »

this:

tbh, Ninja, I would say that poster was just giving the "I'm alright jack" scenario to lucieno's post. Im not sure that lucieno posted it like that.

There is an awful lot of "Im alright jack" attitude overall in Ireland tho. It would be nice if people got back to looking out for each other, and their neighbors.

Raging_Ninja

fishy fishy wrote: »

tbh, Ninja, I would say that poster was just giving the "I'm alright jack" scenario to lucieno's post. Im not sure that lucieno posted it like that.

There is an awful lot of "Im alright jack" attitude overall in Ireland tho. It would be nice if people got back to looking out for each other, and their neighbors.

fair enough then.

lucianot

Exactly, I did not post like that because I also think people do not care when an alarm rings out, for instance. And believe me I know some of my neighbours and we have asked to watch the houses when we are on holidays, etc, but I don't think that is enough, there are some extra factors that nobody seems to see liek the lack of metal bars, or the type of locks, etc.

inisboffin

lucianot wrote: »

there are some extra factors that nobody seems to see liek the lack of metal bars, or the type of locks, etc.

One of the things that people love about Ireland (past) is the fact that there *aren't* bars on the windows of most places, bolts on the doors etc. I know they are necessary in big cities, but perhaps people are trying to hang on to that sense of safety and community by using other deterrents.

I disagree with your point that no one pays attention to alarms, I really think that depends on where you live, even down to the specific street.
If your friend's alarm was going off, would you ignore it?

On the flip side of that, we've all heard of plenty of burglaries in houses with good locks etc too. If someone is away on holidays, and no one is watching out, a burglar can take their time to break in, no matter how the lock is made.

Nothing is certainly burglarproof, but good neighbourliness is just one way (yes bars are another!).

inisboffin

inisboffin wrote: »

Nothing is certainly burglarproof, but good neighbourliness is just one way (yes bars are another!).

Put a nice little German Sheppard sitting inside the hall way and see how far any burglar gets

scholar007

fishy fishy wrote: »

just heard about a spate of burglaries taking place in the city (westside). Seemingly the people know who is in the house, who is out, when they leave, when they don't.

Be on high alert and watch out for people checking out streets or houses (walking) - if you notice anything suspicious make sure you alert your neighbours and the gardai.

It seems like it is become extremely common (day and night) in the west side area.

For fups sake :pac: - My, how the westside has come on (Westside da best side) - years ago only the salubrious areas of Galway, like Salthill were robbed. A burglar wouldn't have gotten out of Westside alive in da 80s.

inisboffin

gilberto_eire wrote: »

inisboffin wrote: »

Nothing is certainly burglarproof, but good neighbourliness is just one way (yes bars are another!).

Put a nice little German Sheppard sitting inside the hall way and see how far any burglar gets

Ever heard of dosed meat? Horrible but been done, particularly in business robberies. But I wont be pedantic, dogs are a great deterrent, always have been
The only drawback is who minds them when you go away for a few days? Uh oh.. We're back to the neighbours!