Car thieves caught: Police stop chase in Cologne-Seeberg!

Car thieves caught: Police stop chase in Cologne-Seeberg!

On the night of Friday, July 11, 2025, police officers in Cologne caught a suspected car thief in the Seeberg district. The incident occurred around 3:50 a.m. when witnesses observed two people attempting to remove tools from a craftsman's van. When the police arrived, the perpetrators fled in a car, but not for long because after a short chase the officers were able to arrest one of them. The second perpetrator, who fled on foot, is still on the run and the police have launched a manhunt for him Cologne City Gazette reported.

Another incident that recently caused a stir took place in the region and also affected the police. On Thursday, a Peugeot was reported stolen in France and put on a wanted list. Plainclothes police officers gave chase when the vehicle's occupants, a 16-year-old driver and two companions, had to wait at a traffic light. The young driver, who was previously known to be missing, attempted a risky maneuver to escape across Luxemburger Strasse, but rammed two cars before the badly damaged Peugeot came to a stop. In addition to the 16-year-old, a 20-year-old and a 16-year-old who were in the support vehicle were also arrested WDR reported.

Crime in focus

A look at the current developments in crime statistics shows that crime in Germany fell slightly by 1.7% to 5,837,445 registered crimes in 2024, which signals an overall positive trend. The main reason for this decline is the partial legalization of cannabis, which has resulted in a significant decline in drug-related crime. However, some areas, particularly violent crime, developed in the opposite direction and rose by 1.5% to a high since 2007. What is particularly frightening is the increase of 11.3% in suspected children and 3.8% in young people.

The current statistics also show that violent crimes committed by non-German suspects have increased by 7.5%. This is in the context of an increase in sexual assaults (+9.3%) and other crimes that can affect the population's sense of security. Despite the positive development in some areas, the challenge of crime remains present, as the police crime statistics 2024 from Federal Criminal Police Office shows.

The developments in the crime rate and the recent incidents in Cologne raise questions. The police remain called upon to ensure the safety of citizens and to intensify the prosecution of perpetrators. Stay tuned as we will keep you updated on developments.