Vehicle Theft Reduction in Germany: The Long-Term Effectiveness of Electronic Immobilisation |
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Authors: | Jörg Bässmann |
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Institution: | (1) Bingen am Rhein, Germany |
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Abstract: | From 1995 on all new vehicles sold in Germany must be fitted with an electronic immobiliser. This measure was part of a comprehensive
police plan which, adopted in 1994, reacted to the unprecedented increase in vehicle theft after German re-unification and
the breakdown of the former USSR. Whilst international research has already shown that electronic immobilisation is an effective
tool to reduce vehicle thefts, comparable studies for Germany have not existed. Based on the situational crime prevention
approach, this study indicates that the substantial vehicle theft reductions recorded over the last 15 years in Germany can
be explained in particular by the introduction of electronic immobilisers as a ‘target hardening’ mechanism. It will be shown
that immobilisers not only effectively obstruct opportunistic vehicle thieves, but also increase the efforts of professional
vehicle trafficking groups. Since an external impact evaluation has never been planned for this measure, the study followed
a mixed methods approach in using available police data as well as complementary interviews with key experts. |
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