„Did you lock your car?“ – With this question, officers from Police Station Kaiserslautern 1 will once again be out and about in the city and surrounding district on Tuesday, May 19 2026, approaching car owners. Their goal is to prevent crimes that arise, so to speak, from „opportunities“ for thieves because of unlocked cars, open car windows and valuables that are left clearly visible inside the vehicle.
The police receive reports of such thefts from vehicles time and again. Often, the perpetrators have an easy time of it; they simply have to open the unlocked door and grab their loot-or they can reach right in through an open side window. However, thieves also do not hesitate to force open a car if they see through the window that, for example, a handbag is lying on the passenger seat, a wallet or cell phone is in the center console, or a bag with contents that could also be valuable is left on the back seat.
Since the beginning of 2026, over 90 of such crimes have been reported to Police Station Kaiserslautern 1 alone. That is roughly the same number as in the first five months of 2025. However, the proportion of thefts from unlocked vehicles has risen, while the number of break-ins from locked vehicles has fallen.
But: There are still too many! Above all, the figures show that the perpetrators are after one thing: quick loot. This means: The harder it is to get their hands on the coveted item, the greater the likelihood that thieves will leave it alone. The reason: The longer a crime takes, the higher the risk for thieves of being catched.
Therefore: Make it as difficult as possible for thieves! Don’t leave any valuables in the car! Also, don’t leave anything else lying around inside the car that might attract the attention of thieves from the outside (such as bags). And most important: Always lock your car as soon as you leave it! Always roll up the side windows!-whether you’re parking your vehicle for just five minutes, five hours, or five days! It also doesn’t matter whether the car is parked in front of your own front door or in the parking lot around the corner. Thieves test everywhere with a quick check if doors are open, and they also look through the side windows to see if they spot anything of interest. An empty interior and locked doors are therefore the easiest and most effective protection.
For Police Station Kaisersalautern 1, this is already the 10th special control day regarding this issue. They have taken place regularly for the past few years. During the last controls in October 2025, officers found 66 unlocked vehicles within a few hours and were able to notify the respective owners-before a potential thief noticed the „opportunity.“
So: Clear out your vehicle before others do it for you-and then lock it up! By the way, something many people still don’t know: An unlocked car can result in a fine. The standard fee is 15 euros. – Yet another reason not to forget to lock it… |cri/smü
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Bildquelle bei Beispielbildern: https://www.polizei-beratung.de/presse/pressebilder/
Quelle Text/Bild:
Polizeipräsidium Westpfalz
Logenstraße 5
67655 Kaiserslautern
www.polizei.rlp.de
Kaiserslautern, 18.05.2026
