Vehicle theft
Theft of a motor vehicle is the theft in which a motor vehicle is stolen by being taken away .
Since 1993 the frequency has dropped dramatically to just 13%. This decline follows the trend that can be observed in all western countries.
Overcoming the electronic immobilizer
Since January 1, 1998, newly registered cars in Germany have to be equipped with an electronic immobilizer. This has been further developed by the manufacturers over the years. In order to steal the vehicle, the perpetrators carry devices with them to overcome the security. New keys are often learned. In vehicles with a Keyless Go or a similarly functioning system, the theft takes place by means of a relay attack. For this purpose, the key signal is amplified by means of a radio link extender (key scanner) and sent to the car scanner. In this way, the vehicle can be opened and started without having the key in possession. One way to protect against this attack is to shield the car key using suitable metal containers or to deactivate the system as provided by the manufacturer.
Special forms of inspection
If an apartment or house or a shop is broken into before the theft in order to steal the vehicle key and thus drive away the vehicle, this is called home or showroom jacking . A relay attack is when the signal from the key is extended to open the vehicle and drive away.
Motives for the car theft
Sale of the vehicle as a used or new vehicle
Usually, after the theft, the vehicles are taken abroad and sold there to stolen goods or to customers in good faith. These are mostly new model series. The vehicles are often remodeled before they are sold, sometimes giving them the identity of a vehicle registered in another country or that of a vehicle that has had an accident.
Recycle the parts
After the theft, the vehicles are dismantled and the parts go to the aftermarket. Sales are also carried out via online auction houses such as Allegro .
Use as a means of crime
The vehicle is only stolen in order to temporarily use it for a criminal offense. This happens more often with break-ins in which the vehicle is only stolen in order to be able to transport away the stolen goods. A phenomenon here is also theft in order to have a vehicle available for which no conclusion can be drawn about the owner, for example the getaway car in a bank robbery. This can also be considered in the case of so-called lightning break - ins , in which the car or truck is partially used to drive into a shop window or otherwise destroy or remove the security of the goods.
Utility theft
In the past, vehicles were often stolen to get from A to B. After use, these were then simply left standing. After the introduction of the immobilizer, this form of theft declined and is no longer relevant today.
Criminal law
In German criminal law is the motor vehicle theft not a separate offense of a criminal offense , but generally falls under the theft according to §§ 242 et seq. Of the Criminal Code .
Differentiation from other offenses
Theft is characteristic of theft, i. H. breaking the custody of others . This is done either through mechanical (e.g. steering wheel lock ) or electronic (e.g. immobilizer ) overcoming the safety devices of a motor vehicle by the perpetrator .
Delimitation cases
With carjacking , on the other hand, there is predatory extortion or robbery, as the vehicle is forced to be given away by force or threats with a current risk to life or limb, or the removal is carried out by force.
statistics
The police crime statistics published annually by the German Federal Criminal Police Office show cases of theft of motor vehicles separately. The clearance rate for these offenses is around 28%.
While the frequency more than doubled from the end of the 1980s after the opening of the Iron Curtain to its peak in 1993, the numbers fell dramatically by 2019 to just 13% of the 1993 figure. In 1993 there were 214,836 cases, in 2018 only 28,132. This means that the decrease in motor vehicle thefts was much larger than that of the total crime , which decreased by only 21%. The pattern of a decrease in the incidence of theft since the early 1990s can be found in all Western countries. It's part of an overall decline in crime .
See also
Web links
- youtube.com Videos - Overcoming the Electronic Immobilizer in English
- Relay attack - video
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c Police crime statistics. Federal Criminal Police Office, accessed on March 30, 2020 .
- ↑ a b Michael Tonry: Why Crime Rates Are Falling Throughout the Western World, 43 Crime & Just. 1 (2014). P. 5 , accessed on June 6, 2019 (English).
- ↑ swr.de SWR - Car theft in seconds
- ↑ [1] Video of a relay attack
- ↑ vdpolizei.de (PDF) International vehicle postponement point 2
- ^ Evidence on a silver platter. Märkische online newspaper
