Crime - Timber theft has increased in Saxony-Anhalt
The number of reported cases of timber theft has tended to increase in Saxony-Anhalt in recent years. Last year, just under 160 cases were reported, the State Criminal Police Office told the German Press Agency in response to an inquiry. In 2019, there were only 117 cases. This year, 145 cases have already been reported up to and including October.
In terms of the number of cases, the Harz region, the Burgenland district and the Mansfeld-Südharz district have been particularly affected recently. Last year, the Burgenland district was the negative frontrunner with 23 thefts.
According to the LKA, the financial losses incurred have also been increasing for years. Last year, the financial loss in the state amounted to around 230,000 euros. In addition, there are many unreported cases in which cut wood was stolen. According to the police, the loss for the current year was around 200,000 euros.
The police in Saxony-Anhalt did not comment on possible explanations. For example, the development of timber market prices or the population's loss of purchasing power would have to be taken into account. However, energy prices have risen sharply on average in recent years, while at the same time more and more people are heating their homes completely or partially with wood-burning stoves. Firewood has become increasingly expensive, and in some federal states more thefts of felled wood from forests are being reported. This is particularly the case in federal states with large forests, where it is less noticeable if someone loads up a trailer at night.
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The Police in Burgenland district, like other affected areas in Saxony-Anhalt, have been dealing with an uptick in timber theft cases. The German Press Agency reported that the LKA, or State Criminal Police Office, blamed the increase in financial losses on the rise of unreported cases and the high demand for firewood due to rising energy prices. This issue of wood theft is not limited to Saxony-Anhalt, as the Saxony-Anhalt police noted an alarming trend across various federal states with vast forests.
Source: www.stern.de
