"If you look back over the last twelve months, there are both positive and negative facets," said Police President Markus Röhrl as he opened the presentation of the 2023 crime statistics, anticipating that there were very different trends depending on the area of crime.

He began by giving an overview of crime trends in the Bergisch city-triangle, before Guido Liedke (Head of the Crime Directorate at Wuppertal Police Headquarters since 01.09.2024 Head of the Crime Directorate at Wuppertal Police Headquarters) focused on the developments in certain phenomenon areas and explained them in more detail with figures.

Positive: Crime rate in the city triangle is below the NRW average

The year 2023 is the first year after the coronavirus pandemic that was completely free of restrictions. While the crime curve declined in the coronavirus years, the total number of crimes in the presidential area rose by 1.7% compared to 2022, which is only half the increase for NRW as a whole (3.4%). While the cities of Wuppertal and Solingen were responsible for the increase, the number of crimes in Remscheid actually decreased.

In the Bergisch city-triangle, 600 more suspects were identified than in 2022. The crime clearance rate has also risen: to just under 56%.

The crime figures for Wuppertal, Remscheid and Solingen are below the NRW average. It is therefore clear that the Bergisch city-triangle - as in previous years - is one of the safest cities and regions in North Rhine-Westphalia.

Negative trend in violent crime

"But where there is light, there is also shadow," said Head of Department Röhrl, moving on to the negative developments.

"Violent crime has increased and we have reached record levels in a 10-year comparison." This trend towards more violence also corresponds with the number of offences in which knives were used. The high proportion of suspects under the age of 21 is also striking. This is 23.1% and is therefore clearly disproportionate to the proportion of this age group in the population.

The very high proportion of young non-Germans committing violent crimes is also striking. In this context, Röhrl mentioned two stabbings on Maundy Thursday at Karlsplatz and in the City-Arkaden in Wuppertal, in which the victims suffered very serious injuries in some cases.

At 39.2% of all suspects from all offense areas in the cities of Wuppertal, Remscheid and Solingen are non-Germans, but their share of the total population is only 21.4%. Among the suspects are also many multiple and intensive offenders. These are offenders who commit five or more crimes in one year.

The Wuppertal police will stick to existing concepts in the Bergisch region: with patrols, checks, searches, but also arrests.

The proportion of suspects under the age of 21 is comparatively high

The number of suspects has increased. Chief Criminal Director Guido Liedke explained that the proportion of children, young people and adolescents was overrepresented in the structure of suspects at 23.1%. He referred to the "Kurve kriegen" project, which helps to curb or prevent criminal careers among children or young people.

Drop in street crime

Street crime, which has an impact on citizens' so-called subjective sense of security, fell by 1.8% in 2023 and is still below the level of the years before the coronavirus pandemic. "This is a very, very positive development and the EK focus plays a major role in this," emphasized Liedke. However, this trend does not apply to the city of Solingen. In the next few weeks, the focus will be sharpened in the inner city area and concepts will be brought to the fore.

Strong increase in sexual abuse of children

This area of crime has become a particular focus of public attention due to the cases of abuse that have come to light in Lügde and Bergisch Gladbach. As a consequence, the police have massively increased their personnel capacities, so that the dark field could be cleared up and this clearing up also explains the increased number of cases. Even international supplies, for example from the USA, have led to investigations.

Increase in crimes against the elderly with trans-regional perpetration

In Wuppertal and Solingen, crimes against the elderly have increased (e.g. so-called grandchild fraud). "These crimes are particularly reprehensible, as they focus on the weak members of society," says Liedke. There are cases in which well over 100,000 euros have been stolen and the perpetrators are constantly developing new strategies.

Residential burglary on the decline

Although there was a slight increase in the number of crimes after corona, the curve has fallen significantly over the last 10 years. "This area of crime no longer plays the role it did in the 2010s, for example. We see this development as very positive," says Chief Criminal Director Liedke.

Further developments and detailed figures can be found in the police crime statistics 2023 (on the right).