There has been an increase in the number of recorded sexual offences, drugs offences, and burglaries in Westmeath over the past year, according to the latest Garda crime statistics.
The Westmeath Garda Division had a clean slate in some of the most serious crime categories up to the end of September 2013, with no convictions recorded for murder, manslaughter, attempted murder, or dangerous driving causing death.
However, the number of sexual offences in the Westmeath division increased from 23 to 31 over the past year. In addition, the number of rape and sexual assaults recorded during the first three quarters of 2013 was 30, compared with 24 in the same period the previous year.
Controlled drug offences were also up, from 215 to 256 over the year. However possession of drugs for sale or supply dropped slightly from 49 to 43.
Burglaries increased from 410 to 489, while aggravated burglaries were up from one to four. However thefts dropped slightly over the year, from 954 to 941.
The number of drink driving offences also fell over the year, with the number of people driving a vehicle while over the legal alcohol limit down from 165 to 132.
There was also a drop in the number of attempts to murder, assaults, and harassment from 235 to 188, and in harassment and related offences from 33 to 18.
The number of recorded assaults causing harm also fell a little from 59 to 53.
