Landrat Jochen Hagt and Carolin Callies, Head of the Crime Directorate, presented the 2023 crime statistics at a press conference on April 3. The number of crimes in 2023 has risen slightly in the state of NRW. In the Oberberg district, however, the number of crimes fell by 7.5 percent last year.

In comparison with the 47 district police authorities in the state, the Oberbergische Kreis is in first place with a crime frequency rate of 4,202 (4,202 crimes per 100,000 inhabitants) of the lowest crime rates. 
 

Body injuries / violent crime

The number of cases of violent crime also fell by 3.6 percent overall. There were significant differences in this area of crime. The number of robberies stood out in particular. It rose by a further 24.3% to 92 crimes compared to the previous year and is at a record level compared to the last five years. The number of cases of resistance to law enforcement officers also increased by 3.5% (4 offenses) to 118 compared to the previous year. "It is unacceptable to attack and injure people who want to help others," said District Administrator Jochen Hagt, condemning this development.

In contrast, the number of assault offenses fell by nine percent. 72.5 percent of assault offenses are classified as simple assault. In contrast, 23.7 percent of assault offenses were dangerous and grievous bodily harm. They involved, for example, serious injury or were committed with weapons, other dangerous objects or by groups. In 58% of these cases, the perpetrator and victim knew each other, and in 13% of these cases they even lived together.
 

Crimes against sexual self-determination

The number of cases of crimes against sexual self-determination has been rising almost continuously for years. The increase in recent years to 409 cases in 2023 is largely due to the offense of child pornography. The internet is also playing an increasingly important role as a means of crime. The number of cases of sexual abuse of children has risen by 7 (16%) to 50 cases. The area of possession and distribution of child pornography increased further by 34 cases (+27%) to 161 cases. This is the highest figure in the last five years and is presumably due to the fact that intensive investigations are increasingly shedding light on the dark areas of previous years.

Residential burglaries

One area that particularly affects the public's sense of security is burglaries in people's own homes. Last year, the number of domestic burglaries rose by around 11 percent to 237 cases in the Oberberg region. Although the number is still significantly lower than the peak phase around 2015 (717 burglaries), District Administrator Jochen Hagt took the opportunity to once again draw attention to the free crime prevention advice services. After all, 117 of the 237 cases got stuck at the attempted stage. The reason for the unfinished burglaries may have been attentive neighbors, but also good burglary protection. "Typical burglars who are keen to commit a crime quickly abandon well-secured houses and give up their plans," emphasizes the district administrator. Carolin Callies, Head of the Crime Directorate, also addresses the topic again during the presentation of the figures. "The fight against home burglary can only be successful if the population actively participates. This includes good security in their own homes as well as attentive neighbors who inform the police immediately if they see anything suspicious."

Fraud

The police in Oberberg also recorded a decline in the area of fraud. While the figures rose during the coronavirus period in particular, the number of crimes fell in 2023. "Intensive prevention work certainly plays a role in this," says District Administrator Jochen Hagt. "Prevention work ensures that many citizens are aware of the scams used by fraudsters." A similar trend can also be seen in internet fraud. Compared to the previous year, the number of cases in 2023 fell by 11.9%.

The developments in fraud against older people are particularly pleasing. The figures here have fallen for the third year in a row.

The perpetrators often cause high losses with scams such as the grandchild trick or shock calls. In 2022, the number of cases fell to 23. In 2023, the number fell again to 19, which corresponds to the pre-corona levelOf the 19 cases involving elderly people, around half of the crimes were solved.

Clear-up rate

District Administrator Jochen Hagt and Head of Directorate Carolin Callies were also able to present good clear-up rates in other areas. Compared to the previous year, the overall clearance rate rose by 0.5 percentage points. This means that 61.7 percent of all cases in the Oberberg region were solved. This means that the clearance rate is above the average of the last five years and around 8 percent above the national average.