Initiative against burglars Police inspect delivery vans and older vehicles
BONN · At this cold and dark time of year, it’s high season for burglars. Bonn police launched a preventative effort by setting up key inspection areas for selected vehicles.
For those driving a certain kind of vehicle on Wednesday afternoon, for example a white delivery van or an older car, they might have had to deal with an unwanted stop. In a parking lot near Niederholtorf, around 30 police officers set up a control area to examine vehicles they picked out for inspection. It’s the beginning of the season when darkness sets in early, leaving great potential for burglars.
According to police spokesperson Robert Scholten, ten streets have been picked out for controlling vehicles. Specifically, it was important for police to know “who is coming out of a residential area and who is going in.” The initiative on Wednesday was a sort of prelude to a nationwide campaign planned for next week called “Riegel vor” (Operation dead bolt).
The timing of the checks seems to coincide with more burglaries again, noticeably between Bad Honnef, Bonn and Bornheim. Police spokesperson Simon Rott explained that last year there had already been an increase in burglaries in September but this year, the numbers only began rising in the middle of October. Last week alone, there were 44 burglaries reported. Still, he expects “that the number of cases this year could remain below the number from 2015.”
As for the success of such initiatives like the one on Wednesday, Scholten said “We hope that we will also have the necessary stroke of luck.” Besides that, police are counting on residents of Bonn to contact them when they see suspicious vehicles or persons in their neighborhoods. “Better to call one time too many than not enough,” emphasized the police spokesperson.
(Orig. text: Axel Vogel)
