Galway Bay fm newsroom - Crime is down in the city by 40 per cent.
Figures presented at a meeting of the city Joint Policing Committee this week show that there more than 500 less crimes reported in the city garda division by the end of May, compared to a year previous.
While burglaries have reduced by 3 per cent in the city, theft from cars are up by more than a third.
Theft from shops also increased by 10 per cent in the first 5 months of the year.
Chief Superintendent of Galway Garda Division, Tom Curley said that the majority of thefts from vehicles, particularly in Salthill, involved the vehicle being left unlocked or valuables being left in plain sight.
Mayor Niall McNelis suggested that the new parking pay machines which are being rolled out across the city could have stickers warning people to lock up their cars safely.
Public Order offences were down by 7 per cent, however JPC members expressed concern about an almost 60 per cent rise in minor assaults.
Chief Super Curley said 173 minor assaults which happened in the past few months occurred in a variety of locations including betting offices, car parks, laneways, hotels, hostels, pubs, school buildings, fast-food outlets and streets.
