The crime trend in North Rhine-Westphalia is on the decline. Last year, the number of crimes fell by 6.5 percent from 1,469,426 to 1,373,390. "This is the sharpest decline in more than 30 years," said Interior Minister Herbert Reul at the presentation of the police crime statistics for 2017. The number of theft offenses is at a 30-year low. It fell by 86,091 to 549,916 cases. According to the Minister, the high clearance rate of 52.3% is also pleasing - the best figure for almost 60 years (1959). "North Rhine-Westphalia has demonstrably become safer. This is good news and a great praise for the work of our police," said the Minister. "It also shows that actual safety is better than perceived safety." Nevertheless, we should not rest on our laurels. "We in the Ministry of the Interior and the police will continue to work hard in the future to further improve the situation - day after day and night after night," emphasized Reul. The zero-tolerance strategy will continue to be pursued. "Translated, this means that we will consistently take action against all forms of crime - even against supposedly petty crime," explained the Minister.
The minister was also positive about the decline in street crime, which fell by 7.8 percent to 348,762 offenses. Street crime includes, for example, pickpocketing (-19.1 percent), dangerous and grievous bodily harm (+1.9 percent), theft from cars (-13.2 percent) and bicycle theft (-8.5 percent).
In 2017, there were 25.7 percent fewer domestic burglaries. Of the 39,057 residential burglaries, 46.3 percent were unsuccessful because the perpetrators did not get into the apartments or houses or did not steal anything. "Rummaging through cupboards and drawers is an invasion of privacy. This often weighs heavier than any material loss. That's why it's good that more and more citizens are seeking advice on how they can better protect their homes," explained the Minister of the Interior. This is why the prevention campaign "Riegel vor! Safe is safer" prevention campaign by the North Rhine-Westphalian police will be continued in the coming years. The detection rate for domestic burglaries was 16.7 percent. Minister Reul: "Although this is the best clearance rate for 40 years, it is not yet satisfactory, especially in the case of burglaries." Residential burglaries are generally difficult to solve because professional offenders often leave few or no traces behind.
The minister also addressed the issue of foreign crime. "Sometimes you also have to speak unpleasant truths. Only if we communicate openly and transparently here will we retain the trust of our citizens," said Reul. Almost a third of the suspects (32.0%) did not have a German passport. The proportion of immigrants, on the other hand, was only 8.7 percent and had fallen by 16.9 percent between 2016 and 2017. Minister Reul: "So it's more complicated than some people think - you have to differentiate."
Violent crime fell by 4.2 percent to 46,654 cases, 73.7 percent of which were solved. This halted the trend of the past two years. More than two thirds of violent crimes relate to dangerous and grievous bodily harm.
If you have any questions, please contact the press office of the Ministry of the Interior on 0211 871-2300.
