NEWLY released data shows a sharp fall in violent offences in the Republic, while Northern Ireland faces a record surge in racially motivated crimes.
According to the latest figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO), most categories of serious crime in the Republic of Ireland have fallen year-on-year.
Homicide offences, which include gangland killings and deaths from dangerous driving, dropped by 42%.
Robbery, extortion and kidnapping have also seen double-digit declines, as have burglary and drug-related offences.
In total, ten out of fourteen serious crime categories recorded reductions when compared to the same period last year.
However, long-term data presents a more complex picture.
Theft offences have increased by 30% since 2022, and weapons-related incidents are up 19%.
Robbery, extortion, and hijacking also rose by 14% over the four-year span.
Sexual offences showed a 17% increase this year.
Gardaí believe this may be partly due to increased reporting, particularly of historic offences, reflecting greater public willingness to come forward.
Meanwhile, Northern Ireland is grappling with a disturbing rise in race hate crime.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) reported 1,329 racially motivated crimes in the 12 months leading up to June.
This is an increase of 434 from the previous year and the highest number since records began in 2004.
The rise in incidents coincided with two waves of street violence in Belfast and Ballymena, linked to anti-immigration protests.
A total of 2,049 racially motivated incidents were recorded, nearly half of them in the Belfast City Council area.
In contrast, crimes driven by sectarianism remained relatively stable, with 611 recorded cases.
One family in Strabane experienced the impact firsthand.
Nigerian-born Uche Ukeje and her daughters were targeted in a racist graffiti attack on their home.
“My younger daughter is still too frightened at night,” Ms Ukeje told BBC Radio Foyle. “We’ve had great support, but she no longer feels safe here.”
Amnesty International condemned the surge in hate crimes, calling it a crisis that has been building for years due to government inaction.
“This has been a year of hate and fear in Northern Ireland,” said Patrick Corrigan, Amnesty’s Northern Ireland director.
“Behind these figures are real families living in fear simply because of the colour of their skin or where they come from.”
Corrigan urged the Northern Ireland Executive to implement a robust anti-racism strategy and take decisive action to prevent further escalation.
While the Republic of Ireland appears to be making progress in tackling serious crime overall, the increase in sexual offences and long-term rises in theft and weapons-related crime signal ongoing challenges.
See More: CSO, Crime, Murder, Northern Ireland, Republic Of Ireland
