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August 1st, 2023 – In absolute figures, the most motorcycle thefts were again registered in Berlin in 2022. In the 84 major German cities, the rate of change was between plus 1,500 and minus 60 percent. This is evident from the current police crime statistics. In relation to the inhabitants, Freiburg im Breisgau occupies the inglorious top spot.

Last year, around 23,700 thefts of mopeds and motorcycles (including unauthorized use) were officially registered in Germany. This can be found in the current police crime statistics (PKS 2022), which were presented in the spring.

This corresponds to an increase of one third. Since the peak of more than 53,000 offenses recorded in 2007, this was only the second increase (May 27, 2019). The last time the number was over 30,000 was in 2012, two years earlier it was still over 40,000.

Background: After a previous decline in theft crime caused by the pandemic (VersicherungsJournal April 7, 2022, April 19, 2021), a significant renewed increase was observed overall last year (March 31, 2023). This also applied to home burglaries (July 10, 2023) and stolen cars (July 4, 2023).

Most motorcycle thefts in Berlin

Statistical data broken down by region are now also available. According to this, huge differences can be observed in the major German cities (from 100,000 inhabitants). In absolute figures, the federal capital Berlin is the leader with 2,367 such offenses (plus one seventh compared to the previous year).

In Hamburg there were around 811 (plus more than half) – i.e. around 2.2 motorcycle thefts per day or one offense every almost eleven hours. It is followed by Cologne with 790 cases recorded. 594 thefts were recorded in Frankfurt am Main. In Munich, Leipzig and Freiburg im Breisgau there were over 400 cases each.

For a total of nine of the 84 cities listed, fewer than 20 such acts are listed in the official statistics. Ulm is at the top with nine recorded cases, ahead of Salzgitter with ten.

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The biggest changes in the stolen vehicles

It is also striking that there have been massive changes in many cities. The number of motorized two-wheelers stolen in 23 of the major cities listed was declining. A minus of almost two thirds was recorded for Braunschweig (from 33 to 13 recorded offences). Around 40 percent fewer crimes were recorded in Ulm (from 16 to nine) and in Wolfsburg (from 80 to 50).

Conversely, the number of motorcycle thefts recorded by the police in Reutlingen grew the most with 1,533 percent (from six to 98 cases). The number has almost quintupled in Gütersloh (from 12 to 59), more than quadrupled in Kaiserslautern (from five to 22).

Freiburg im Breisgau at the “top” of the class rankings

In relation to the number of inhabitants, Freiburg im Breisgau was the capital of motorcycle thieves in 2022. Almost 178 offenses per 100,000 inhabitants were recorded there. The absolute number of offenses recorded rose from 150 to 512. Saarbrücken came in second after an increase from 148 to 237 thefts. This corresponds to a value of around 132 per 100,000 inhabitants.

Aachen took third place after an increase from 69 to 132 cases, which is more than 100 offenses per 100,000 inhabitants. On a national average, 28.5 stolen motorcycles per 100,000 inhabitants were officially registered.

Braunschweig with the lowest risk of theft

Only five major cities had the steal rate per 100,000 people below ten. These include Braunschweig (5.2) and Ulm (7.2). Values ​​of over nine were observed in Oldenburg (Oldenburg), Salzgitter and Osnabrück.

There was also a comparatively low risk of motorcycle theft in Schwerin, Bergisch-Gladbach and Fürth last year. There, less than 15 thefts per 100,000 inhabitants were statistically recorded.

Huge differences in clearance rates

Huge differences were also observed at the level of the individual major cities with regard to the clear-up rate. At the top is Ulm, where four of the nine crimes recorded were solved. They are followed by Nuremberg (in 55 of 133 cases, the perpetrator was identified) and Erfurt (17 to 45).

On the other hand, in 13 major cities not even one in ten motorcycle thefts was solved. These include Leverkusen (three out of 94 cases were resolved), Fürth (one out of 17) and Mülheim an der Ruhr (two out of 37). The national average is given as 18.3 percent.

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