German Polizei Corner

Residential burglaries
Burglaries do not only happen in winter. The amount of burglaries rises during the dark season, since darkness protects perpetrators.
While the total amount of burglaries into apartments in Kaiserslautern increased by 33.2 percent in 2012, the number of burglaries during the day (between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m.) increased by 50 percent.

In 2011, there were 205 burglaries and 84 happened during the day. In 2012, there were 273 burglaries, and 126 of them were during the day.

For many people, a burglary at their own apartment or house is a big shock. It is an intrusion into privacy. The feeling of being safe is lost. A burglary may result in psychological problems, which can be worse than the material damage.

To help stop burglaries, residents should use preventive behaviors like locking doors at all times, lighting up the residence, pulling up rollladens during the day and having vigilant neighbors.

Polizei will give individual tips on how to secure homes. Safety experts are available to inform residents free of charge. They are also able to come out to the apartment or house. Simple technical safety items help  keep burglars away.

Most burglars are not professionals; they just look for good opportunities, such as badly secured entrance doors, windows and patio doors.

For more information from the central prevention office of the Westpfalz Police Headquarters, call 0631-369-1444, email  BeratungszentrumWestpfalz@Polizei.rlp.de or visit the experts in Kaiserslautern, Parkstrasse 11.