It has been reported that over 200 cars were stolen in the past year by thieves using magnets or long hooks to ‘fish’ car keys through letterboxes.
It is also thought that more burglaries are carried out during the winter months due to the darker earlier. The news comes as Gardaí are appealing to people to be extra vigilant when it comes to home security.
According to figures released in this latest report, it is understood that burglars made off with more than €14m worth of jewellery and €8m in cash was stolen in the last year. Sergeant Kelvin Courtney from the National Crime Prevention Unit also said people should be aware to protect themselves against the “fishing” craze.
He said: “You want to make it as hard as possible for them to get through your letterbox,” he said. “Maybe put a guard on it (and) have a postbox on the side of your door (rather than a letterbox).” “We’d be asking people to store their keys (and) not traditionally throwing them on the hall table as soon as they come in the door.”