But unfortunately, it's not just Santa Claus who takes advantage of the shadows of homes to go from house to house and hand out presents. Travelling burglars also abuse the cover of darkness: they often break open doors and windows within a few seconds and gain unauthorized access to houses and apartments in order to then selfishly enrich themselves with the property of others.
In 2023, the police recorded a total of 1,181 burglaries in Dortmund and 104 burglaries in Lünen. And a similar trend is foreseeable for 2024.
Therefore, Dortmund police are now giving advice on how you can protect yourself against burglaries, especially during the upcoming Christmas and holiday season:
- Always lock your front door, even if you only leave your home for a short time!
- Lock all windows and doors, even on the balcony on the upper floors! Tilted windows are open windows for burglars.
- Only lower the shutters at night, otherwise your home will appear unoccupied during the day!
- Make sure your home appears occupied when you are away for long periods of time. Mailboxes should be emptied and shutters and lights controlled by timers!
- Watch out for strangers entering the house; do not open the door to everyone!
- Keep particularly important or valuable items that you rarely need in a safe deposit box at your bank or use a well-secured safe!
- Secure your windows and doors against burglars!
- Consult your neighbors if you are going to be away for a long time! Attentive neighbors can deter burglars under certain circumstances.
- Secure your access doors and windows against burglars! The trade offers numerous options for making your home technically more secure.
The crime prevention staff at Dortmund police will be happy to advise you.
If you have any questions about preventing burglaries, please contact the specialist security advisors for burglary protection. They will advise you professionally, independently and free of charge. Further information is available at dortmund.polizei.nrw or by calling 0231/132-7950.
In addition, Dortmund police publish a weekly home burglary radar. This gives citizens the opportunity to get an overview of the development of domestic burglaries in Dortmund and Lünen.
The police rely on your help in the fight against burglary crime: If you make any suspicious observations, please call the emergency number 110 immediately. Your information is extremely valuable in the fight against burglars!
Due to the increased number of cases in November and the upcoming holidays, the Dortmund police have currently produced an information flyer that will be distributed in high-risk residential areas. The prevention flyer, which is intended to raise awareness among citizens, has been produced in five languages.