Policing stats show three serious assaults a week in Limerick

THE number of serious assaults increased in three of the four garda districts in Limerick during the first five months of this year, new figures have revealed.

Briefing members of the Limerick Joint Policing Committee Chief Superintendent David Sheahan said there were 72 reported incidents of assault causing harm between January and May compared to 70 during the same period last year.

More than half of the reported assaults happened in the Henry Street district (42) while there were just two in the Bruff district.

While the number of serious assaults reported to gardai increased slightly between January and May, the number of ‘minor assaults’ fell by almost 20% to 224.

The figures show 105 cars were stolen across the division during the first five months of the year compared to 75 in the first five months of last year.

Public order offences increased slightly in the Henry Street (279), Roxboro Road (102) and Newcastle West (67) gardai districts while they halved in the Bruff district (down from 17 to 8).

The  were more than 250 drug seizures across the Limerick division in the first five months of the year – the vast majority of which (70%) related to personal use.

There were 144 drink-driving detections between January and May.