17-year-old caught breaking into Ravensburger drinks store!

17-year-old caught breaking into Ravensburger drinks store!

A delicate incident kept Cologne city residents busy on Sunday morning. At around 7:45 a.m., a 17-year-old broke into a drinks store on Karmeliterstrasse. The teenager presumably became aware of a glass pane by throwing stones and thus got inside the shop. There he stole a folder containing cash worth several thousand euros and caused considerable damage to property. Witnesses noticed the break-in and promptly informed the police, who responded quickly.

The search led to the arrest of the 17-year-old near a senior center. When he was arrested, he had already taken off his crime clothing, which was later secured in a hiding place. The officers were also able to find the stolen goods. According to initial information, the young person slightly injured his leg during the crime, probably from the broken window. He is now being investigated for particularly serious theft, while the police are also conducting further investigations into possible accomplices.

The current crime situation

The event is part of a worrying development in crime statistics in Germany. According to a survey from 2022, around 5.63 million crimes were recorded in Germany, which corresponds to an increase of 11.5% compared to the previous year. The increase in theft crimes is particularly noticeable. 2022 saw an increase in thefts for the first time since 2015, with a total of 1.78 million cases, with shoplifting, bicycle thefts and burglaries among the most common forms.[ are the most common types of theft, with North Rhine-Westphalia recording over 23,500 residential burglaries, accounting for more than 35% of all cases in the federal states.

Surprisingly, the statistics also show that the number of children and young people suspected of crimes has increased by 43% compared to 2019. The reasons for this are varied and range from psychological stress to the catch-up effect after the pandemic restrictions. This fits with the statements of Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, who emphasizes that social causes and increased youth crime are partly responsible for the increase in crimes.

The authorities' response and the future of fighting crime

The Cologne police are responding to these trends with increased operations and searches in order to increase security in the city. The nationwide clearance rate is currently 58.4%, which has resulted in a slight increase. Despite these efforts, the rise in crime remains a major challenge for society, especially in urban areas such as NRW, where crime grew by 3.4% in 2023.

In such a climate, discussions continue about how an integrated and preventive social policy that focuses on education and integration can promote the stabilizing factors against crime. It is clear that there is a need for action to remove the basis for future crimes. The developments of the 17-year-old in Cologne are evidence of this complex problem and show that we as a society are required to find suitable solutions.

For more information about social crime trends in Germany, read more at Statista as well as at daily news.