Operation Thor sees 14% drop in winter burglaries, the lowest in six years
Kenneth Fox
There was a 14 per cent drop in burglaries during winter 2025-2026 compared to 2024-2025 during Gardaí's Operation Thor.
It was the lowest level of recorded residential burglaries during an Operation Thor winter phase in six years (since pre covid-19).
On average five arrests for burglary and related offences every day; nearly 1,000 arrests
On average 12 charges/ summonses were issued for burglary-related charges every day; nearly 2,250 charges/summonses
On average, only two residential burglaries are reported per day across the Garda North-Western Region (Garda North-Western Region includes 10 counties Galway, Mayo, Roscommon, Longford, Sligo, Leitrim, Donegal, Cavan, Monaghan, Louth)
On average less than 5 aggravated burglaries nationwide per week, just over 120 aggravated burglaries
Operation Thor, launched in November 2015, is designed to tackle the anticipated increase in the number of burglaries and associated criminal activity that usually occur in the winter months by undertaking targeted enforcement.
The winter phase of Operation Thor runs from the 1st October to the 31st March the following year:
- In the 11 years of Operation Thor, recorded residential burglaries during the winter phase (October – March) have dropped by 80 per cent.
- Just over 2,600 residential burglaries were reported in the 2025/ 2026 winter phase, compared to over 12,000 residential burglaries reported in the 2014/ 2015 winter phase.
There were a total of just under 4,300 incidents linked to Operation Thor (Burglary, Aggravated Burglary/ Possession of an Article (Burglary/ Theft) reported during the 2025/2026 Operation Thor winter phase.
Of the 4,300 incidents, 94.7 per cent were of burglary, 2.8 per cent aggravated burglary, 2.4 per cent of possession of an article (Burglary or Theft).
64 per cent of burglary incidents were residential burglaries, while 36 per cent were non-residential
The most common location types affected are house (53.4 per cent), shop (8.4 per cent), apartment (4.7 per cent), and restaurant (3.9 per cent).
The DMR has accounted for 44 per cent of all burglary incidents in Thor Winter phase 2025/26, the Eastern Region 27 per cent, the Southern Region 17 per cent and the North Western Region 12 per cent.
Temporal analysis of residential burglary incidents during the 25/26 Winter phase suggests that 78 per cent of residential burglaries occurred between 6pm and 2am. Fridays and Saturdays are the days when burglary incidents were recorded as occurring most.
Speaking about the analysis of Operation Thor winter phase 2025/ 2026, assistant commissioner Angela Willis, organised and serious crime, said: "I am pleased to see that the level of burglary-related crime continues to trend downwards as An Garda Síochána remains resolute, focusing on those criminal groups that carry out these particularly harmful crimes.
"Operation Thor, led and co-ordinated by Organised and Serious Crime through the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau, involves dedicated local divisional investigation teams, supported by front-line Gardaí, National and Regional Units."
