Bicycle thefts in Salzburg at a record high – what to do now!

Bicycle thefts in Salzburg at a record high – what to do now!

The number of bicycle thefts in Austria rose to 19,455 in 2024. This represents an increase of almost 900 cases compared to the previous year, although the numbers are still below pre-coronavirus levels. Over 20,805 bicycle thefts were recorded in 2019, while 28,274 cases were recorded in 2014. The clearance rate is only 8.9 percent, as of the 1,731 cases uncovered last year, only a small proportion of the perpetrators were arrested, as kleinezeitung.at reports.

The cities of Salzburg and Klagenfurt are particularly affected, where 70 stolen bicycles per 10,000 inhabitants were registered in Salzburg and 65 cases were recorded in Klagenfurt. In contrast, there are the districts of Güssing, Hermagor and Feldkirchen, in which only a few thefts were reported: Güssing only recorded 2, Hermagor 3 and Feldkirchen 5 thefts. The Dornbirn district stands out outside the main cities with 368 stolen bicycles.

The situation in big cities

In Germany the numbers are similarly worrying. Bremen, Berlin and Hamburg in particular have the most bicycle thefts per 100,000 inhabitants. Bremen recorded the highest theft rate in 2019 with 926, followed by Berlin with 788 and Hamburg with 656 thefts. In 2022, Hamburg reported 14,726 and Berlin even reported 28,801 bicycle thefts, with the clearance rate in these large cities being between 1.1 and 3.2 percent, as oeffentlichen-dienst.de shows.

These figures show that bicycle theft is a widespread problem in urban areas. According to estimates, 70 percent of the perpetrators live near the crime scene, which makes solving the crime even more difficult. Many thieves also take advantage of the fact that 25 percent of stolen bicycles were left unsecured.

Prevention measures and insurance

To help reduce bicycle theft, experts recommend registering the bike's frame number and using theft insurance, especially for high-quality models or e-bikes. These insurance policies usually offer more comprehensive protection than standard household contents insurance, as they also cover parts theft and vandalism, among other things, as gdv.de notes.

It is also important to create safe bicycle parking spaces in high-traffic locations. VCÖ spokesman Christian Gratzer emphasizes that joint measures should be taken to improve safety through an online map on which missing parking spaces can be reported. The entries will be collected by May 4th and sent to the responsible municipalities.