More shootings were reported in the Derry and Strabane council area than any other part of Northern Ireland last year.
Figures released by the Police Service of Northern Ireland show that 12 shootings happened in the area in 2022, more than 40% of all those reported in Northern Ireland.
The numbers include shootings fired by terrorists, security forces, paramilitary style attacks and shots heard and later confirmed.
READ MORE: PSNI appeal after man 'slashed with knife and robbed' while walking dog in Co Tyrone
Derry and Strabane also registered as having the majority of ‘bombing incidents’ recorded by the PSNI in 2022, with three of the five from NI last year coming in the area.
The figures also showed that there was an increase in the number of arrests under the Terrorism Act in Derry and Strabane, despite the overall number of arrests dropping in 2022 compared to the previous year.
110 arrests were made under the act across NI, compared with 130 in 2021. 51 of those arrests were made in Derry and Strabane in the last year.
Chair of the Derry and Strabane Policing and Community Safety Partnership, Alderman Darren Guy, said behind the figures were people affected by 'long lasting consequences'.
"Members of the Derry and Strabane Policing and Community Safety Partnership receive updates on all these figures on a monthly basis. It is concerning that a high percentage of these incidents occur in our Council area," Alderman Guy said.
"However, while the overall figures are relatively small, we must be mindful of the long-lasting consequences that these incidents can have, and the long-term trauma and harm caused to the victims, their families and the wider community.
"These issues are discussed regularly with PSNI Senior Leadership Team and the PCSP is fully supportive of the efforts of police and the community to totally eradicate these crimes from our district."
READ NEXT:
Shots fired at house in Derry in 'reckless attack' leaving victims 'shaken'
- Police appeal over Co Tyrone hit and run crash
- Pair sentenced for manslaughter of homeless man attacked in derelict house
- Natalie McNally: PSNI revisit the scene of woman's murder
For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here. To sign up to our FREE newsletters, see here.
