Burglars are more active during vacation seasons

Apartment break-ins - Burglars are more active during vacation seasons

Overflowing mailboxes and visibly abandoned apartments or houses: The vacation period is a boom time for burglars. "Opportunity makes thieves," warns Rhineland-Palatinate Interior Minister Michael Ebling. And be advised, refrain from posting photos and videos from your vacation during this time. "With three clicks, one can often find out where people live who are away," said the SPD politician in an interview with the German Press Agency.

However, many Rhineland-Palatinate residents had already taken preventative measures, as nearly half of the burglaries remained at the attempt stage. In the first half of the year, the number of burglaries decreased to 1,473 cases. That was 6.3 percent or 93 fewer cases than in the same period last year. This suggests that the trend of lower case numbers will continue in 2024.

There were 2,689 burglaries recorded in total in the year 2023, the fewest since the introduction of uniform criminal statistics in 1971, except for the three pandemic years, during which significantly more people had to stay at home and thus prevented opportunities for crime.

During their vacation time, people should be cautious about sharing too much information online, as it might attract potential burglars. As stated by Michael Ebling, the Interior Minister of Rhineland-Palatinate, posting photos and videos of vacation spots can make it easier for criminals to identify vacant homes. Despite the decrease in burglaries in the first half of 2023, with many cases remaining at the attempt stage, it's important to secure mailboxes to prevent any suspicious activity, such as the discarding of flyers or notices, which might indicate an empty house in Mainz.

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