Fastest Cops

Crime rates in Germany are down and the police are more effective, making the country one of the safest places in the world.

The overall number of crimes in Germany has dropped slightly and the police have been able to improve their rate of success in solving cases, making Germany one of the safest countries in the world, Interior Minister Wolfgang Schäuble said at the presentation of this country's latest criminal statistics.

A representative of the German police union, however, attributes the decrease in figures to other factors, including a rise in the number of cases not reported to police.

But judging solely by the official figures on crimes committed in Germany, Schäuble said that 2005 could again be described as a successful year for police here.

Apart from 2004, when there was a slight increase in the number of cases, 2005 saw the fourth drop in the crime rate in the past 5 years. According to statistics 6.39 million cases were reported in 2005 -- more than 240,000 or 3.6 percent less than in the previous year. German police was also able to improve their clear-up rate from 54.2 percent to 55, which testified to rising police efficiency.


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