Possession of drugs for sale or supply incidents have risen by 25% in Kerry so far this year.
That’s according to figures presented by the Chief Superintendent of the Kerry Division, Padraic Powell, at the recent Joint Policing Committee meeting.
75 arrests have been made in Kerry so far this year, in relation to possession of drugs for sale or supply, up from 60 in 2019.
The figures were compared to the 2019 statistics, as these are more reflective on the rates recorded in 2023, due to covid times in the intervening period.
There has been a 33% drop in possession of drugs for personal use cases, with 296 arrests so far this year; down from 441 in pre-covid times.
Possession of offensive weapons – not firearms – incidents increased by 8% - this includes items such as knuckle dusters and baseball bats; with 52 arrests this year, up from 48 in 2019.
Meanwhile, there has been a 26% jump in drug driving arrests in 2023; with 58 recorded; up from 46 in 2019.
Drunk driving cases have risen by 17% - with 165 arrests in Kerry so far this year.
