The vehicles are stolen either to use them temporarily (e.g. for criminal offenses) or to sell them or their parts. High-value cars in particular are often on their way abroad before the theft is discovered in order to be sold there.

Car thieves also target navigation devices, car radios, cell phones and valuables left in the vehicle such as handbags, wallets, computers or cameras.

The police advise:

• Do not leave any valuables (e.g. handbag, cameras, cell phone) or cash in the car, not even in the trunk. Signal with an open glove compartment: There is nothing to get here
• Do not leave a mobile navigation device in the vehicle. Always lock the windows, doors, trunk, sunroof and fuel filler cap when leaving the vehicle. A locked fuel filler cap, for example, makes it difficult for a thief to fill up at "zero cost".
• Get free advice on securing motor vehicles from the technical advisors at your police department's crime prevention/victim protection department (KK KP/O). You can find an overview of the advice centers of the NRW police on the website.

Further prevention tips on the topic of “theft around motor vehicles” and “motorcycle theft” can be found on the website of the state and federal police crime prevention program (www.polizei-beratung.de / Topics and Tips / Theft and Burglary: “Theft around motor vehicles and “theft of two-wheelers”)

There you will also find manufacturer directories for vehicle fuses and vehicle tracking systems. Further information on the subject of positioning systems can also be obtained from specialist vehicle dealers and automobile clubs.

However, the basic rule is that you should take precautions, as tracking systems can neither prevent nor make theft more difficult.

In view of increasing road freight traffic, freight theft, for example through so-called "tarpaulin slitting", is also on the rise. In addition to the risk for the driver of becoming a victim of an attack, companies incur high losses every year as a result of freight theft.

These prevention tips will help you to reduce the risk of damage through technical, structural, organizational and personnel measures.

The sun is shining, excursions are tempting and many people get their beloved bikes out of garages, cellars and sheds - especially in summer. And thieves are also looking forward to this lucrative time.

The police advise:

• Label your bike individually
• Always lock your bike to a solid object with a solid lock on the frame

Prevention tips on bicycle theft and a bicycle passport can be downloaded here. (Link PDF Bike theft)

• The bike pass from your police is also available as an app (in cooperation with the police crime prevention of the federal states and the federal government). For example, you can enter all your data there and upload photos of your bike.

  Further tips on how bike owners can protect their bikes from thieves can be found in the leaflet "Good advice is not expensive. What about losing your bike?". The leaflet is available at the crime prevention/victim protection offices and can also be viewed or downloaded online (www.polizei-beratung.de/ Topics and tips/ Theft and burglary/ Theft of two-wheelers)

   

Purse snatchers usually avoid open confrontation with the victim. They rely on surprise, physical strength and speed and snatch the handbag from the victim while walking/riding past (bicycle, motorized two-wheeler or inline skates). The victims are predominantly single, older women who are observed at financial institutions, for example, from where they are followed to their homes and robbed.

The police advise:

• Always carry valuables in your clothing close to your body. Use the inside pockets of your clothing.
• When withdrawing money, make sure that you are not being watched. Do not count money in public.
• In cases where you don't want to/can't do without your handbag:
• Clip your bag closed under your arm. Carry it on the side facing away from the road.
• If you are the victim of or witness to a purse snatching, call the police immediately on 110 or send an emergency fax. (Link to the emergency fax)

And finally, a particularly important note:

Do not resist in a hopeless situation. Comply with every demand made by the perpetrator, especially if it is made with weapons. Do not fight for the bag. Do not hold on to it if robbers try to snatch it. There is a high risk of injury from falling, using force or being dragged along. Property can be replaced - and is often insured - but your personal safety always comes first!

Further information on purse snatching and robbery in general can be found on the website of the Police Crime Prevention Program of the federal states and the federal government at www.polizei-beratung.de (Page: Topics and tips / Robbery / Handbag snatching)

Patients and employees in hospitals and care facilities are often victims of property crime. The perpetrators take advantage of the special conditions in hospitals and care facilities to commit their crimes. In open facilities, not only patients but also visitors can move around freely as far as possible. This allows thieves to gain undetected access to areas of the building where patients and staff keep money, debit cards, identity documents or jewelry, among other things. Nursing and care staff are unable to recognize every suspicious situation because their attention is focused on their core tasks.

The police advise:

• Do not take large amounts of money or valuable jewelry into the hospital or care facility.
• Report any theft to the nursing staff and report it to the police

More prevention tips on the subject of hospital theft
 

Metals of all kinds are rewarding prey for thieves. Almost all metal objects are stolen, ranging from grave lights, house numbers and guttering to loads of metal weighing several tons.

The police advise:

• Secure all openings in the building/premises (e.g. windows, basement entrances, skylights, shafts, fences) by installing burglar-resistant, tested and certified products.
• Label high-value metal objects in particular permanently (e.g. with engravings, UV pens, stamped numbers).
• Secure large or high-value metal objects in particular with stable anchoring (e.g. setting in concrete, welding) in the ground or masonry.
• If you suspect that a burglary/theft is taking place or is imminent, please alert the police immediately by calling 110 or by emergency fax. (Link to the emergency fax)

• Get free advice from the technical advisors at the crime prevention/victim protection (KK KP/O) crime squad of your police authority. An overview of the advice centers of the NRW police can be found on the website:

  http://polizei.nrw/artikel/riegel-vor-sicher-ist-sicherer

  Further prevention tips on the subject of metal theft can be viewed or downloaded here. (Link to the PDF Prevention tip on metal theft)

Anyone can become a victim of pickpocketing. Elderly people, women with handbags, baby carriages or shopping carts and anyone carrying luggage, bags, rucksacks or shopping bags are often the preferred targets of pickpockets.

Focal points for pickpockets are areas where many people come together and there is a crowd, for example:

• On public transport, at bus stops and train stations
• in shopping centers, pedestrian zones
• in department stores, supermarkets, markets of all kinds
• at major events, trade fairs and public festivals

The police advise:

• Be vigilant and, especially in crowds, expect thieves to try to distract you in order to steal from you. Remain cautious if you are approached by strangers - whatever the reason.
• Always carry your handbag or shoulder bag locked and tucked under your arm with the clasp facing your body. In stores, pedestrian zones or similarly busy areas, you should also always carry rucksacks locked under your arm.

If you do become a victim or witness a theft:

• Notify the police immediately by calling 110.
• If your wallet is stolen, have your debit or credit cards blocked immediately. You can do this by calling 116 116 a free blocking emergency call.

You should report pickpocketing to the police immediately. There, the debit card (e.g. Girocard, formerly also known as an ec card) can be quickly blocked for the electronic direct debit procedure using the so-called KUNO security system. With the electronic direct debit procedure, a thief does not need a PIN to misuse the card.

Further information and tips on protection against pickpockets can be found here. (Link to the PDF Prevention tips on pickpocketing)

Information and media on the nationwide campaign against pickpocketing can be found on the campaign page against pickpocketing.

The fear of violence on the street, especially in metropolitan areas, is very pronounced among many people, especially older people. However, the risk of becoming a victim of crime there is relatively low. Older people are generally more likely to be robbed or defrauded in their homes than attacked on the street. The first aim of all trick thieves and fraudsters at the front door is to be let in so that they are alone with the victim. That way, they don't need to worry about witnesses or help for the victim.

In the case of trick theft/fraud, all known perpetrators can be traced back to three basic patterns:

Faking an emergency situation that appears to require assistance or support from the victim in the home. (Link to the PDF prevention tip on trickery/trick theft at the front door- pretending to be in an emergency)

Faking an official capacity, which apparently authorizes the perpetrator to enter the home, and (link to PDF prevention tip trickery/theft by trickery at the front door- faking an official capacity)

Faking a personal relationship with the victim, which suggests an invitation to enter the home. (Link to the PDF prevention tip on trickery/theft at the front door- feigning a personal relationship)

Fake police officers deceive their victims by pretending to be police officers in plain clothes in order to steal the victims' cash unnoticed during the subsequent check. The victims are mostly business travelers and tourists.

The perpetrators prefer to act in small groups. The victims are approached by one perpetrator and asked for directions, a light for a cigarette or a hotel, for example. The accomplices come along and pretend to be plainclothes police officers and show the victims a fake ID card. Under a pretext, for example suspicion of drug dealing, the fake police officers ask to see the ID documents they are carrying and search the victims and the bags they are carrying. The victims' money is examined for possible drug traces using a "smell test". Apparently, the victims get their money back. However, they later discover that considerable amounts of cash are missing.

How you can recognize fake police officers, distinguishing features of a police ID card and how you should behave in such situations,
read here: PDF Prevention tip: trick theft by fake police officers
 

Since the beginning of 2012, there has been an increase in the number of fraudsters in North Rhine-Westphalia pretending to collect money for the needy. The perpetrators are sometimes male, more often female and increasingly younger. They approach their victims in pedestrian zones, outdoor restaurants and parking lots, but also in stores, offices and supermarkets.

In addition to the fraudulent donations, the victims are often tricked and robbed.

In the meantime, the perpetrator groups are concentrating on victims who are withdrawing cash from ATMs. The perpetrators, some of whom are young, are increasingly aggressive and violent towards their victims.

The police advise:

• Keep your distance from petitioners and avoid any physical contact!

• In the event of suspicious observations and criminal acts, inform the police immediately by calling 110 or by emergency fax(link to emergency fax)

  Further information and prevention tips on the subject of theft by charity collectors and robbery at ATMs can be found here: PDF Prevention tip donation collectors

For many people, young and old, a burglary in their own home comes as a great shock. The violation of privacy, the loss of a sense of security and the serious psychological consequences that can occur after a break-in are often more distressing for those affected than the purely material damage.

The police's experience shows that it is possible to protect yourself against this: more than one in four burglaries are unsuccessful, not least because of security systems. But burglaries can also be prevented through correct behavior and attentive neighbors.

In 2011, the NRW police launched the campaign "Riegel vor! Safe is safer." in 2011.

The campaign comprises the key messages:

• Watch out for suspicious people/situations
• In case of suspicion, call the police immediately on 110
• Get neutral and free advice on burglary protection from your police

Advice on how you can effectively protect yourself and your property as well as an overview of the advice centers of the NRW police can be found on this website, the home burglary topic page and in the prevention tip on home burglary.

Further information on the subject of domestic burglary can also be found in the brochure "Uninvited guests". You can find the brochure on the website of the Police Crime Prevention Program of the federal states and the federal government at www.polizei-beratung.de (Page: Topics and tips / Theft and burglary / Burglary