Plainclothes police officer in Hamburg: pistol stolen – perpetrator caught!

Plainclothes police officer in Hamburg: pistol stolen – perpetrator caught!

The security situation in Hamburg remains in the public eye, especially since an incident that caused a stir on Monday evening. A plainclothes police officer was the victim of theft when his backpack containing his service pistol was stolen while paying at a gas station. The suspect, a 35-year-old man, has now been arrested, but the service pistol remains missing, as [NDR](https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/hamburg/zivilfahnder-in-hamburg-beklaut-gestohlene- Pistole-weiter-verschollen,diebstahl-114.html) reports.

The incident occurred when the police officer was about to pay for gas. In the hectic moment, the perpetrator managed to steal the backpack before fleeing. Fortunately, the backpack was found near the crime scene, apparently thrown away by the thief. The investigators are now concentrating on the search for the missing service pistol and have searched, among other places, the Planten un Blomen park and shallow waters.

Arrest using the latest technology

A decisive factor in the arrest of the suspect was the technology of the surveillance cameras. These were crucial in obtaining information about the perpetrator's escape route. The man was then caught by specialized SEK officers in Farmsen-Berne. What was particularly striking was that the suspect was identified by a so-called federal police super recognizer. These specialists are able to recognize faces above average - even years after an act, as Spiegel reports.

It remains unclear whether the theft of the backpack was planned or whether the thief simply randomly selected a plainclothes police officer's bag. In any case, this incident shows once again how important modern investigative techniques and cooperation between different police units are in combating crime.

Crime development in Hamburg

In the context of such incidents, it is interesting to take a look at current crime statistics. On February 13, 2025, the Hamburg police presented the police crime statistics (PKS) for 2024. This shows that the number of crimes in Hamburg has fallen by 4 percent, meaning a total of 224,913 crimes recorded. The decline also includes a significant drop in murder and manslaughter crimes, which have been almost halved. However, at 47.9 percent, the clearance rate is only slightly below the previous year's figure.

What is particularly striking is that while many crimes have decreased, violent crime has increased by 7 percent. There has been an increase in robbery crimes, particularly in districts such as St. Pauli and St. Georg, which poses hurdles due to the danger level in certain areas. But the police remain active and have already taken action against organized crime, which will hopefully lead to a positive turnaround. Interior Senator Andy Grote and Police Chief Falk Schnabel have also expressed optimism about this, as reported by Hamburg Police.

Overall, it is important to remain vigilant and aware of developments. The incident with the plainclothes police officer and the associated investigations are a sad but instructive example of the challenges facing the police. The missing weapon could soon appear again, which would only further complicate the situation.