Fears have been expressed about an apparent rise in handbag thefts in South East Clare following a number of recent incidents.
Ardnacrusha Councillor Paschal Fitzgerald has been contacted by a number of worried residents in the Shannon Banks area and says cars are also being damaged and interfered with in local housing estates.
Residents are now seeking the re-activation of a local Neighbourhood Watch programme and the installation of CCTV cameras at the entrances to housing estates.
Councillor Fitzgerald is urging people to be vigilant and to contact Gardai about any suspicious activity.
Meanwhile it has emerged that crime in the Mid-West region is lower than the national average, though residents here are more fearful about it than in other parts of the country.
Nwe figures from the CSO have shown that 7% of households experienced crime in the last twelve months, compared to 9% nationally.
Meanwhile, over 90% say they would feel safe in their homes alone after dark, while almost three quarters have described their local Gardai as ‘good’ or ‘very good’.
However, despite this, three in ten say they feel crime has risen in their area in the last year, while 88% say they regard it as a serious problem
