THE number of people in Limerick caught with offensive weapons has risen by more than 250 per cent in the last three months, CSO figures have revealed.
Published recently, the crime statistics figures for the Limerick Division show that during July, August and September of last year, 36 incidents of persons detected as being armed with an offensive weapon, including three for firearms, were recorded.
This represented a 253 per cent increase on the 13 from the previous three months.
The CSO figures however say that the number of reported crimes of theft is down in Limerick, new CSO figures to last September have revealed.
The Limerick Division recorded just 601 incidents in the three months from July to August 2016, a 10 per cent drop on the preceding three months during the Summer.
The figure represents a 36 per cent reduction on the same period during 2015.
One out of every three thefts in quarter three of last year related to shoplifting, while 20 of the 601 were theft from the person and 37 were from cars.
Figures showed a 4 per cent drop in the number of burglaries during comparisons of the same periods in 2016 but a 45 per cent reduction in the previous two years.
Separately, incidents of drug driving detections increased as did persons found to the drunk while driving.
Persons caught in the possession of drugs for personal use increased to 145 and there was two detections of cannabis cultivation during the three month period.
Serious assaults rose by 36 per cent but minor assaults fell from to a three year low of 110.
Sexual assaults and rape incidents remained on par with quarter two as did reports of child neglect or cruelty.
