Gardaí in Letterkenny are visiting shops as part of Operation Táirge in a bid to deter organised retail crime.
In the Letterkenny Garda District there have been 251 recorded incidents, accounting for 87% of the incidents to date this year.
It’s also a 57% increase this in incidents this year, the highest level in five years.
Almost half of the incidents reported happen on Saturdays between 2pm and 5pm.
Sergeant Paul Wallace is the Divisional Crime Prevention Officer in Letterkenny.
He says rural areas are targeted:
