Pickpockets on the rise: How to protect your money!

Pickpockets on the rise: How to protect your money!

This week, the district police authority Olpe informed about important measures to protect against pickpockets, a topic that is more important than ever given the increasing number of cases. The campaign was "Eye and Bag too as part of the nationwide program! Langfinger are always on the move." of the State Criminal Police Office (LKA) to sharpen the awareness of the citizens for these offenses.

on Monday, October 8th, it was time for the annual prevention event. Chief Criminal Investigator Michael Meinerzhagen, responsible for crime prevention and victim protection, together with police chief Andreas Westhoff, gave the citizens valuable tips to protect themselves from pickpocketing. The team provided informative flyers and even printed handkerchiefs to draw people aware of the often overlooked problem.

Why protective measures are important

The need for such measures is obvious, because the number of cases of pickpocketing in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) have increased worrying. In 2023 in NRW 39,519 pickpockets were registered, which represents an increase compared to 37,321 cases in 2022. This increase makes preventive measures all the more important, especially at a time when people are more on the move.

In the district of Olpe, the numbers also rose alarming. Compared to the previous year, there were more than 35 percent of additional reports in 2023. A total of 96 pickpockets were reported last year, while 2022 were only 71. Compared to the pre-corona figures of 2019, when only 50 cases were recorded, a clear trend can be seen.

Meinerzhagen emphasized that many people often carry more cash and valuables than necessary, and urgently advised to always carry their own wallet and bag on the body and never leave it unattended. "An inattentive moment can be enough to strike long fingers," he warns.

safe habits for protection

In order to minimize the risk of pickpocketing, there were some important advice that Meinerzhagen and Westhoff gave the citizens on the way. It is particularly recommended to keep distance from strangers, especially in overcrowded situations such as in markets or in public transport. Credit and bank cards should always be kept separately to make access to potential thieves difficult. Another crucial point is to memorize the PIN codes to prevent simple account access.

Details on these preventive measures and further information about the theft protection can be found on the police website at www.polizei-beratung.de. The initiative, which has reached an incredible number of people in recent years, shows how important it is to sensitize and become active to your own security in order not to give pickpocketing.