The pandemic may have led to fewer burglary cases

More and more people work as from home, fewer trips abroad and closed borders.

One explanation for the decline in burglary of villas and townhouses could be the corona pandemic.

But the statistics also show a downward trend since 2018.

According to the police's national operational department, Noa, it may be that the authority has worked increasingly focused on burglary. 

-The police have worked long-term together with other actors to prevent and reverse the development.

We have worked against international criminal networks, it has happened both here in Sweden and through international cooperation, says Damir Celebic, business developer at Noa.

"Can help police arrest people"

The police also point out that more and more people are getting involved in neighborhood cooperation.

Something that Karl-Erik Ericsson has done for over 15 years in his home municipality Täby.

For the past seven years, he has been one of those who drove the neighborhood car there and also in Täby there is a decline in villa burglary.

-Before, it has been very empty in residential areas, there have been a few dog owners and pensioners.

Today, when you drive around, you see cars parked almost everywhere and people probably work from home a lot, so it becomes a natural protection against burglary, says Karl-Erik Ericsson.

What difference do you think neighborhood cooperation makes?

-If neighbor cooperation works very well, it is the citizens who see the fastest if something shady is going on.

We have the opportunity to help the police arrest people because we can sound the alarm earlier than both the police and alarm companies, he says.

Burglary in storage is increasing

At the same time as burglary in villas and townhouses is decreasing, it can be seen that burglary in homes has increased by almost 4,600 reports in 2020, compared with 2019.

-It is the subcategory basements and attic storage in the statistics that has increased. Burglary of apartments and villas remains at the same figures in 2020 as in 2019. Here, too, we have a theory that the pandemic has affected development. There will be fewer opportunities for other theft crimes and then basements and attics are least monitored, says Damir Celebic, business developer at Noa.