From BZ/dpa
Berlin continues to be the strongest attraction for car thieves. In relation to the number of inhabitants, ten times as many cars were stolen there last year as the average for the whole of Germany.
This emerges from the motor vehicle theft report of the General Association of the German Insurance Industry (GDV), which was published on Monday. Nationwide, 9,805 insured cars were stolen, a record low since theft statistics began.
This number was below 10,000 for the first time in these statistics. In 2021 there were eight percent fewer thefts than in the previous year. In the mid-1990s, insurance companies were still registering around 100,000 thefts a year. Since then, the cars have been better secured with immobilizers, among other things, and there are also better controls at the borders with Eastern Europe and law enforcement has been expanded.
The car thieves stole 2,200 cars with comprehensive insurance in Berlin alone, which was about every fifth theft in Germany. According to the GDV, this caused economic damage of over 47.5 million euros. On average, the insurance companies paid almost 21,600 euros for each theft.
According to the police, the reason for the many acts in Berlin is the proximity and the fast motorway connections to Eastern Europe, where many cars disappear to be sold in whole or in parts. According to the police, car theft is dominated by specialized gangs from Eastern Europe.
In Berlin, there were 2.2 thefts for every 1,000 cars with comprehensive insurance. In Hamburg the rate was 1.1. The national average was only 0.2 stolen cars per 1000. The risk of theft was even lower in southern Germany: in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg the rate was 0.1, as in previous years.
The car thieves most often stole SUVs, i.e. large and expensive off-road vehicles. Nine of the ten most stolen models were SUVs, including three Land Rover models.
Because the GDV only records cars with insurance against theft, the actual police figures are slightly higher. However, the relationships between the cities and federal states are the same.