Crime Story

I watched a brief update today on N-TV (German commercial news), and it was an interesting piece on German crime.

The German Federal Criminal Police Office (looking over all sixteen states and data collected) says that house/apartment burglaries are decreasing.  It's actually a trend noted for a couple of years now.

The numbers for 2018?  They aren't all in yet for December but it appears that the trend will go down again. 

So how did the big public concern occur?  This is a story which isn't discussed that much.  There was a steady rise in numbers (for attempted/completed burglaries) from 2008 to 2015.

Yes, even before the refugee period started (summer of 2013).....the burglaries were going up each single year.

Most Germans will say, if dragged into this conversation that several trends occurred.  One will be identified as the Wall coming down in 1989.  Another suggestion will be lessening of police numbers (as cops retired, fewer and fewer replacement police were brought onto the national number).  Some will suggest that criminals got more sophisticated and daring. 

In 2015, there were 167,136 noted burglary attempts (the German record year).  Since then, they've actually gown to 116,540 cases (2017).  For 2018?  No one says much yet but they might have moved down to the 110,000-level.

So what happened in 2016/2017/2018 to change the game?  Between the article and things I've come to note....I'll offer seven observations:

1.  More security cameras got purchased and installed.

2.  Locals started to put up more lighting (particularly sensor-lighting).

3.  When cops found break-in gangs....they pursued cases and sought long jail-terms.  A lot of folks arrested in the past three years have gone to prison for a lengthy period. 

4.  Alarm systems are actively advertised and sold now. 

5.  Germans started to look at normal methods of entry or break-in....then altered their structures.  Renovation projects started to occur with house doors and windows.

6.  Germans got suspicious.  If you were standing around on some street and appearing to be looking at a house or structure in some suspicious way.....they'd engage you in conversation or ask why you were there.

7.  Public TV started to talk about crime strategies and what you could do to counter it. 

It will be curious if the 2018 numbers are lower than 2017, and if this trend carries through for the next couple of years.  The addition of 10,000 additional cops across the nation?  That might play into lesser numbers as well.