This article is the winner of the 2017 Ui Cadhain Prize for Young Reporters for best idea.
Following a robbery at my neighbour’s house, my family and I were left feeling worried and
anxious that maybe our house would be targeted next.
The burglary brought the issue of home break-ins to my attention. I’d never felt scared in my own home before, and suddenly I was wondering if my home and my family were safe.
Well, the number of robberies in my local area and in and around Dublin has been huge. Lots of people are not happy about it, and it’s causing lots of worry and stress.
Particularly affected are local residents in Ballymun, whose houses have been broken into by thieves, and had their personal possessions robbed.
In the Santry area, which includes parts of Ballymun, there was an increase in home burglaries from 2014 from 2015.
Santry had a 7-percent rise, with 370 burglaries in 2015 – up 25 on the previous 12 months, according to the Central Statistics Office (CSO). These incidents have taken place regularly, and have had a negative impact on people’s lives.
There were fewer recorded in 2016, with 248 burglaries in Santry. But that’s still a lot.
The CSO said that there were 1,698 burglaries in Dublin’s Northern Garda Division in 2016. That’s an average of 32 burglaries a week. That’s 32 families every week who have felt intruded upon.
I interviewed my next-door neighbour, Jane Walsh, whose house was broken into, and she said, “I feel really upset and nervous and myself and my husband are very angry. It also left me feeling vulnerable and anxious.”
I asked her if she feels uncomfortable in her home, and she said, “Yes, I feel very uncomfortable. I don’t feel at ease in my own home. I wanted to move at one stage, but I can’t let what happened chase me from my home.”
Now, I totally agree with Jane, because I would feel the exact same. I also asked her what was done about the robbery, and she said, “The police were called and they came and took a statement. My son-in-law had to fix the door. My house has checked the next morning for fingerprints.”
I then asked if anything was stolen, and she said, “There was a large sum of money taken. There were also two old rings, a bracelet, a gold cross and a chain that belonged to my husband.”
I finally asked if her house was in a state afterwards, and she replied, “No, there were a few things moved [around] upstairs, like clothes pulled from wardrobes and some drawers opened. I think our car disturbed the thieves and they escaped over the back wall.”
Now, as you can see, this interview is evidence of what is happening. It is disgraceful that people are put at risk and left feeling uncomfortable in their homes. Please be aware and keep all windows and doors locked when you leave your home.