The number of sexual offences in Monaghan has more than doubled over the last year.
The county's Joint Policing Committee was yesterday given a round-up of crime figures in the first half of the year, with Covid continuing to have an impact.
22 sexual offences were recorded in County Monaghan over the first half of the year, up from seven over the same period in 2020.
Chief Superintendent Aidan Glackin told the committee that this could be attributed to the new Divisional Protective Services Unit set up locally and more awareness of the services available to those who are victims of such a crime.
Elsewhere, 11 cases of possession of an offensive weapon were recorded this year, almost twice the number over the same period last year when six were recorded.
Drug possession for sale or supply was up 44 per cent over the past year.
The number of burglaries fell by almost half, with 37 recorded in the first six months of this year.
The number of thefts also fell slightly, with 105 recorded in the county, down five on last year.
