The year 2023 was an extraordinary year characterized by uncertainty and tension. The war in Ukraine is now in its second year and another conflict that has been smouldering in our society for a long time is breaking out in Israel with the Hamas attack. At the same time, inflation in Germany remains at a high level, the cost of living is rising steadily and general wage levels are falling behind.
All of these uncertainties and events also had an impact on the local crime trend at the Düren police station. In 2023, 17,236 crimes were registered in the district of Düren. Compared to the previous year, this is 487 fewer crimes. The clearance rate, on the other hand, rose by 2.13% to 51.97% last year.
This corresponds to the pre-corona level of 2019. 2023 saw nine crimes against life. These were fully cleared up, increasing the clearance rate to 100%.
The development of crimes against sexual self-determination is less pleasing. Although the continuous rise in the number of cases in this area of crime over the last six years from 412 cases to 341 cases has been interrupted, they are still at a high level.
As in previous years, theft offenses accounted for the largest share of total crime at 43.28%. Other offenses followed in second place with a total of 27.49%.
The total number of theft offenses rose by 3.19% year-on-year from 7221 to 7459 cases, breaking the previous year's sharp rise of over 50%. In the same period, the clearance rate increased by 6.06% to 28.61%. Although the trend of doubling the number of cases of burglary in the home could not yet be reversed, the increase in offenses leveled off sharply at only 12.53%. The clearance rate rose by 3.28% last year.
The number of cases in this area of crime, which includes fraud, embezzlement and misappropriation in particular, fell by a total of 12.45% to 327. At the same time, the clearance rate increased by 6.57% to 65.76%.
In this crime complex, the total number of offenses fell by 63 (-18.26%).
The total number of offenses falling under the heading of "street crime" fell from 4,891 to 4,652. At the same time, the clearance rate fell by 2.8% to just 16.66%.
All in all, it can be summarized that the trend of sharply rising crime figures after the lifting of the coronavirus measures
has been broken. The measures taken in 2023 (increased presence, consistent intervention and targeted
prevention work) have now had an effect.