Fewer crimes, high clearance rates and an overall stable sense of security: the 2025 police crime statistics (PKS) paint a positive overall picture for Baden-Württemberg. At the same time, they make it clear that crime is increasingly changing – away from classic offences in public spaces and towards digitalised and often invisible areas of crime.

Decline in crime – best result in years

With around 522,000 cases of general crime, the number of offences in 2025 fell by 5.7 per cent. This corresponds to around 30,000 fewer offences than in the previous year and – apart from the pandemic years – the best figure of the past decade.

The crime rate also falls to a low: 4,643 offences per 100,000 inhabitants mark the lowest figure in the last ten years outside the Corona period. At the same time, the clearance rate remains stable at 60.5 per cent – a key indicator of how effective police work is perceived to be and how much it influences the population’s sense of security.

Public spaces: safety is visibly gaining ground

The decline is particularly noticeable in public spaces. The number of crimes recorded there fell by 7.6 per cent to around 223,000 cases – the lowest level in ten years.

Theft offences, property and forgery offences, and damage to property continue to account for the largest share.

Assault offences are also declining; at the same time, the clearance rate here is above average at 82 per cent. This is an important signal for cities and municipalities, because safety on streets, in public spaces and on public transport has a direct impact on quality of life. Tailor-made security concepts, municipal partnerships and weapon and knife-free zones are considered essential components of this development.

In addition, several cities are increasingly relying on video surveillance, which can be expanded in the future under easier conditions.

Violence, sexual offences and knife attacks: small proportions, big impact

Although violent crime, sexual offences and knife attacks account for only a comparatively small proportion of total crime, they have a strong impact on the subjective feeling of safety.

By 2025, all three types of crime will be on the decline: violent crime in public spaces will fall by 6.2 per cent, sexual offences will also decline and knife attacks will decrease by 11 per cent. At the same time, the police will succeed in solving the majority of these crimes – the clearance rate for knife attacks will be just under 80 per cent, and for homicides even higher.

Nevertheless, the issue remains socially sensitive: around one in five knife attacks takes place on public transport. Prevention, controls and clear legal regulations therefore remain central tools of the security strategy.

Sexual offences on the decline – domestic violence on the rise

However, a more nuanced view reveals contrasting trends. While crimes against sexual self-determination are declining by 4.5 per cent overall – mainly due to a decline in cases involving digital pornographic content – domestic violence is on the rise again, reaching a ten-year high of around 17,400 cases.

The statistics illustrate familiar patterns: around four out of five victims are female, and just as many suspects are male.

Assault dominates the field of offences, with threats and stalking also playing a central role. The police record around 50 cases of domestic violence every day – an indication of how large the number of unreported cases continues to be.

New tools in police risk management, including the possibility of electronic monitoring of whereabouts in high-risk cases, are intended to further strengthen victim protection in the future.

Cybercrime: fewer cases, higher damages

Parallel to the decline in traditional crime, many offences are increasingly shifting to the digital space. Although the number of cybercrime cases has fallen by around nine per cent to approximately 13,600, the damage caused continues to rise, reaching a record high of more than £18 million.

Particularly challenging is the fact that a large proportion of digital crime originates abroad. The number of cybercrime cases recorded abroad is significantly higher than domestic offences, while the clearance rates here naturally remain very low.

Crimes that use the internet or IT devices as a means of committing the offence – such as online fraud or digital threats – also remain at a high level. The economic damage is increasing significantly, demonstrating how strongly cyber risks now shape everyday life and the economy.

Telephone fraud: old scam, new dimension

Fraudulent telephone calls are a particularly dynamic phenomenon. Cases such as ‘fake police officers’, grandparent scams and shock calls are rising sharply. Although the attempt rate remains extremely high, the amount of damage continues to grow.

The perpetrators often operate from professionally organised call centres abroad and deliberately target emotionally charged situations – an area of crime in which prevention and education play a crucial role.

Residential burglaries halved – a long-term success

A clear success in recent years can be seen in the area of residential burglary. Since 2015, the number of burglaries has been reduced by more than half. Specialised investigation teams, cross-border cooperation and intensive prevention advice have contributed to the fact that almost every second burglary now fails at the attempt stage.

Precisely because burglaries have a particularly strong impact on people’s sense of security, this trend is considered an important milestone in police work.

Digital security explained: new platform sicher-bw.de

With the new platform sicher-bw.de, Baden-Württemberg is also focusing on modern security communication. The digital development of the previous security report makes data interactively accessible and aims to create transparency. A chatbot helps users to classify figures and understand topics more easily – an approach that is becoming increasingly important in times of disinformation.

Conclusion

The PKS 2025 shows that Baden-Württemberg continues to enjoy a stable level of security: fewer crimes, high clearance rates and positive developments in public spaces. At the same time, the challenges are shifting. Domestic violence, cybercrime and international forms of fraud illustrate that security today goes far beyond traditional police work.

For security actors, this means that prevention, digitalisation and interdisciplinary cooperation are becoming increasingly important, not only to respond to new threats, but also to counteract them at an early stage.