Pickpockets/Petty Theft in Germany?
 

Obviously pickpocketting and petty theft is an issue in Europe - I am just wondering how prevalent it is in Germany. In all the threads, there seems to be a lot of talk about Italy, Spain, etc. but I haven't seen much mention of Germany.

We will be in Munich and Nuremberg, and then rent a car to drive from Nuremberg along the romantic road to Fussen, across to Reutte in Austria and then after a few days back to Munich.

Obviously we will guard our passports, money, and cards well and when we have the car make sure not to leave valuables in sight.

I am just wondering how high the risk is in Germany compared to other countries.

"Medium" risk :-) The grocery stores at the corner all have signs posted "Beware...", but I've never been pickpocketed in my life. So as everywhere: It all depends on your behaviour.

"Obviously pickpocketting and petty theft is an issue in Europe"

You mean it isn't a problem where you come from?

Touche, Alan. I have been to 51 countries worldwide but I've only been robbed once in my traveling life. Can you belive, that happened in Canada?? Europe is like anywhere else. Be aware of your surroundings, protect your valuables and you'll be fine. Aside from valuables, do not leave ANYTHING in sight in your car. We left an umbrella, a sweat jacket and a road atlas in our car when visiting Canada and that's why we got robbed. The theif could tell we were tourists and presumed there was more to steal in the car. Thankfully there wasn't.

Enjoy your trip.

I don't think this is a big deal in these countries, EXCEPT watch the crowds. I was trying to explain to my daughter why we need to be so vigilant in Italy --after all, the Italians survive the pickpockets, don't they? But then they don't carry around valuables like Passports and airline tickets and cash for an extending period of time. Depending on your accommodations, you may be able to leave the money belt items at the hotel or apartment. There is always a risk, but in Switzerland, Germany, and Austria, it felt pretty unnecessary sometimes. Weigh this risk, cause it would be a big pain to have to deal with losing your CC or passport. Prepare by having the #s and copies and all that. but you'll have to judge which precautions are necessary and which are overkill in your situation. Fussen and Reutte will seem pretty tame to you, I imagine.

actually, it isn't a problem where I live in the US, nor has it been in any major US city I've lived in. I don't know the statistics, but I think this definitely is a more common crime in some European cities and countries than in the US. I don't know why, you'd think petty thieves would find it a reasonable trade here, also, but I have never heard of it being a major problem in the city where I live, nor on its metro system, either, nor have I ever heard of anyone who has had it happen to them where I live.

No, I am not claiming it never occurs, but my perception is that it is more prevalent in Europe.

Just returned from Germany. Myself and three other family members have had pockets picked in Spain on different trips, so I understand why you are asking this question.

Germany is a completely safe country. The liklihood of having a pocket picked there is no more likely than it is in the US.

When walking through crowded train stations, pedestrian zones, and places where tourists congregate, I just kept my wallet in my front pocket with one hand on it as I walked - just as a precaution.

Not once did I feel threatened or out of place anywhere in Germany. My personal feeling is that pickpocketing is not nearly as prevalent in Germany as it is in Spain. Of course, this is purely anecdotal.

The OP never said there wasn't crime here. But, regardless of what the crime situation is in our different cities at home, that does not alter the fact that, according to reputable, reliable sources, pick-pocketing is indeed an issue in many areas of Europe.

I think it's smart to know what to expect so you can take whatever precautions are reasonable.

Thanks - the answers confirm what I suspected. It is a risk, but not a huge risk. We will, of course take precautions because like someone said - it would be a major hassle to have to deal with a stolen passport on vacation.

Alan - actually, no - pickpocketting is not an issue where I come from. We have crime, but it is more likely to be drug and/or gang-related, theft of cars, burglary and robbery - things of that nature. Smash-and-grab crimes are on the rise and of course if you leave a bag or something valuable unattended, someone is very likely to steal it. Bike theft is common also. But pickpocketting and purse-snatching - no. People cutting the bottom of your bag to steal your stuff - no. People snatching your purse as you eat lunch in an outdoor cafe - no.

There may be a simple explanation for all this. If you drive around in your car most of the time don't walk in congested places and small streets where many people assemble, who on earth has a chance to snatch your purse... This might be different in places like downtown New York?

germany is very safe for crime. overall the police are very ...well, "proactive".

however, contrary to what we hear here, the EU has more of a crime problem than the US.

the crime rate in the US has been steadily decreasing over the last few decades but rising fast in europe.

any talk of a virtually crime free zone is living old myths, i'm afraid.

It'll still take a long long time for crime going up to reach US levels. Read the WHO report, I posted the link 2 days ago.

Although I haven't seen data for 2005 yet, the overall crime rates in several western European countries have been higher than in the USA for several years now. In the rest of Western Europe, the numbers are similar to the USA.

Murder is an exception--the USA still has a higher murder rate than any country in Western Europe.

Theft, robbery, simple assault, and home invasion all increased rapidly in much of Western Europe while they were declining rapidly in the USA.

Don't invent your own numbers, but read the report: There isn't much to add :-)

logos, i scanned your report yesterday and i don't see any hard crime figures. just a weak reference to germany vs the US. We must compare the whole of the EU with the US. Unfortunately these data are hard to get. picking and chosing countries or states is not fair. check this out from the UN. the figures for the US total crime are lower in 2000 than just about all the EU nations listed. this shows that western europe does not even compare well with the US....nevermind some parts of EU like the baltic states that have a murder rate and overall crime rate many times higher than the US (they are not listed in the study however).

of course, i would never include russia or other non-eu european nations in any comparasin...it should be EU/US.

from the united nations:



http://www.unicri.it/wwd/analysis/ic...2000i/app4.pdf

table seven page 190. sobering reading for anyone with old myths of a crime free europe. btw, i have no agenda, i wish it were not true as i live in europe. but the crime rate here is increasing and it is out of control in far too many places here. not being alarmist just trying to correct your misleading assertions.

I lived downtown for years - walking just about everywhere and never had a problem with purse snatching or pickpocketing. We frequently go to street fairs and festivals, concerts, and so on where many people are congregated close together. We stand in line on the street to get into a comedy club or walk in a dense crowd of people after a hockey game. Hang out in a crowded bar. We are definitely not the type of people who drive everywhere and hurry from our cars to our destination. We take public transportation on a daily basis. And never had a problem. I have witnessed plenty of other crimes, just not pickpocketting and that sort of thing.

I am not saying that pickpocketting and so forth is not a problem anywhere in the US. Europeans seem to have made it an artform though.

I agree that pickpocketing and petty theft are not a european issue. They are a city/pedestrian issue.

there are lots of pickpockets in Times Square- and other major tourist desstinations in NYC - and a friend of mine was pickpocketed on the subway in San Francisco.

Those people who say it doesn;t happen in their city - aren't really in a city - they're in cars going from house to office complex to mall. Naturaly they're not pickpocketed.

And in fact, it's much more of problem in parts of Latin American and Asia than anywhere in europe.

And - as someone else said - just follow normal city precautions and it's not a problem anywhere.

You must remember that there are millions of immigrant workers in Germany from those very countries where you claim that pickpocketing rates are high, so why are the rates in Germany lower?

Maybe it's because they abandon their nefarious trade once they begin to enjoy the fruits of working in a well-regulated and prosperous industrial society.

Harzer

pickpocketing in the US just isn't cost effective. it's not a profitable trade to learn. Drug selling, gun selling, armed robbery. Most people in the US don't carry large amounts of cash on them, and although it is possible to spot tourists on the streets in New York, they really aren't so noticeable as they are in Europe. We've got so many people who look Italian, German, Irish, Japanese, Chinese, Mexican, etc that we don't notice foreign tourists. In fact, the only people who really stick out as tourists are from the midwest. They're the only people not wearing black. ;-)

In San Francisco they're shivering in their pastels!

I'm sure it does happen, but I have never felt unsafe anywhere in Germany (or Austria either) where I have traveled.

Sorry - it is possible for locals to pick out tourists in NYC - and it is primarily based on how they're dressed - not on how their persons look - since we are a very diverse city.

Tourists from other parts of the US usually dress like - well - let's not get into that discussion again. And tourists from europe are easy to pick out as well - they tend to wear either sandals with hairy brown socks, distinctly "european" shoes, or heavy tweeds/jackets in the middle of summer.

And there are in fact pickpocket rings in the city - primarily young people - many from Latin America - where $50 or $100 IS a lot of money. And they do prey on the tourists as described above.

I think a major difference is that American who wear backpacks in europe don't in the US - can't understand why - thus making things much harder for the thieves.

Yes, nytraveller, I already said that. I wrote: "although it is possible to spot tourists on the streets in New York, they really aren't so noticeable as they are in Europe."

And yes, there are pickpockets who prey on tourists in Times Sq. etc., but it's just not so common as it is in Spain, for instance -- where it is also blamed on South Americans -- or in Venice, where it is blamed on Southern Italians.

Anyway, I see plenty of Americans carrying backpacks in New York. I still think it is the case thieves know that most people aren't carrying much of real value in their bags. Better to just punch somebody in the face and grab their Ipod, or flash something that looks like a weapon and demand that we hand it over.

New Yorkers are a pretty cooperative bunch when accosted by people they think look scary and might be armed.

I often watch tourists who seem to invite pickpockets. Once, I observed an American tourist on a bus in Rome whose wallet was visibly hanging out of his pocket and an Italian boy was going to steal it (obviously not well trained). I warned the tourist, but he considered me as a kind of robber and chose to ignore me, so finally the boy got his prey.

Well, Germany is pretty safe and probably much safer than Rome. Howevers, it is always wise to be a little careful on packed underground trains or in congested areas in pedestrian zones, particularly around people performing in the streets.

BTW, 63% of caught pickpockets in Germany have a foreign nationality while 9% of the residential population are foreigners.