Westmeath recorded a 12.8 per cent decrease in the level of burglaries in the past year, according to new figures published as part of the annual eircom PhoneWatch Burglary Report.
Burglaries in Westmeath represented just 3.4 per cent of burglaries in the counties outside Dublin, suggesting that an increase in security consciousness has led to an increase in home security measures in the county, according to the report.
For the first time since 2005, the eircom Phonewatch Burglary Report has revealed a nationwide decrease of 12.6 per cent in the total number of burglaries, compared to the same 12-month period last year.
The report also found that more than three-quarters of the Irish population feel that they are more at risk from theft in recessionary times. Some 79 per cent of the population are now taking measures to secure their home and its contents, and in spite of tough economic times, 61 per cent said that they are prepared to pay for greater home security.
Now in its ninth year of publication, the 2009 Burglary Report also revealed a heightened awareness of security issues and a strong desire to protect what we already have. Home security was found to be the issue of greatest concern to Irish people, with 46 per cent citing home security/ invasion as their primary security worry, followed by bank/ ATM security (21 per cent ).
Approximately €72 million worth of goods were stolen from Irish residential households in the period July 2008 to June 2009, which equates to an average value of €3,011 per home burgled.
In spite of a 15 per cent decrease in the number of burglaries in Dublin county, it remains the worst-hit county in Ireland with 32.7 per cent of all burglaries in the country.
