A number of Donegal garda stations recorded a sharp increase in crime last year compared to pre-Covid levels.
This was despite being subject to lockdown restrictions for large parts of the year.
The crime rate more than doubled on pre-Covid levels in Mountcharles, in the south of the county.
According to figures published in today’s Irish Independent, rates also increased at over twice the national average in Carndonagh (+52%).
In contrast, several other garda stations witnessed significant reductions in recorded crime over the past three years including Dungloe (-57%) and Letterkenny (-38).
The incidence of fraud, which rose dramatically across the country in 2021, resulted in the offence being the most reported crime in 70 stations, including Glenties.
Levels of assaults and threats were over-represented in crime figures in several other areas, such as Ardara.
On longer-term patterns, the analysis shows several stations, including Falcarragh, have seen crime levels rise substantially since 2017, running contrary to the overall trend of falling crime rates over the period.
The CSO figures the Independent used for the analysis are based on the Garda’s Pulse system.
Read the full report, including stats for all local garda stations, here.