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Witness thwarts shoe theft: sneakers tucked into pants!
Three men tried to steal sneakers in Soest on June 17, 2025. A witness prevented the theft.
Witness thwarts shoe theft: sneakers tucked into pants!
Last week, a brazen theft in a Deichmann branch in Soest City Center caused a stir. Three men tried to steal sneakers worth hundreds of euros by stuffing shoeboxes into their pants. The security teams in and around the shopping center are particularly alarmed because the number of shoplifters is constantly increasing.
On Monday, June 17, 2025, an attentive witness spotted the thieves in their questionable action. She decisively intervened and pursued the men, even managing to grab one of them by the upper arm. Unfortunately, the detainee let himself go and fled with his accomplices, but dropped the stolen shoes as he fled. The perpetrators were able to escape in a black Audi A4. The direction in which the men were driving remains a mystery to the police, but another witness was attentive enough to read the vehicle's license plate. Soester Anzeiger reports about this incident.
Another theft and resisting the police
Not far away there was another incident in the City Center in which security caught a fugitive shoplifter. The second suspect, a teenager from Wadersloh, was initially able to escape, but was recognized nearby and caught by the police. The situation developed on the station forecourt when the teenager suddenly kicked a police officer and slightly injured him. Because he resisted being transported to the police station, he was handcuffed. The teenager even spat at a police officer in the patrol car. He is now charged with several crimes, including shoplifting and assault Süwestfalen Nachrichten reports.
A worrying development
The incidents in the Soest City Center are in the context of an alarming development throughout Germany: The police crime statistics for 2023 show that the number of shopliftings in Germany has increased by over 23 percent to more than 426,000 cases. The German Trade Association (HDE) has already pointed out that more consistent criminal prosecution is necessary. Organized shoplifting in particular is a major problem, with an increase of around 26 percent compared to the previous year. Retail.de reports from the high number of unreported cases, because many thefts go unreported and the perpetrators often get away with no consequences.
The shortcomings in the prosecution of crimes like these worry both retailers and security authorities. It remains to be seen how those responsible will respond to the increasing crime and what measures will be taken to ensure safety in stores.