Police are looking for witnesses after the third cell phone theft in Dorsten!

Police are looking for witnesses after the third cell phone theft in Dorsten!

On December 2, 2024, a shoplifting was given in a mobile phone business on Lippestraße in Dorsten, which attracted the attention of the police and the public. Two unknown men stole two mobile phones, while one of the perpetrators kept the front door open. Both then fled in an unknown direction. The incident was recorded by the surveillance camera, which caused the Recklinghausen police to initiate a public search to identify the perpetrators and reach their arrest, such as dorsten-online.de reported.

The description of the suspects is as follows: The first man is about 18 to 20 years old, about 180 cm tall and slim. He wore an olive green parka, gray jeans and black shoes with a white sole. The second man is also male and slim, dresses in black sweatpants, a black sweat jacket and white and black sneakers. The police ask the population for help: information on the identity or the residence of the suspects can be given to the Recklinghausen police on 0800 2361 111.

public search and their circumstances

public investigations, as initiated in the case of Dorsten in the case of Dorsten, are a controversial topic. Criminal investigators are obliged to publish search photos only in considerable crimes in order to protect proportionality. This measure is particularly important for smaller offenses, such as shoplifting, with which a virulent example is given in the case of Dorsten. It is increasingly discussed with regard to the need for such public investigations, both for serious crimes, such as burglaries or robbery, as well as less serious offenses, such as the lto Thematized.

According to Section 131b of the Code of Criminal Procedure, there must be a "crime of considerable importance" in order to justify a public search. The Federal Constitutional Court states that considerable crimes are those that disturb social peace and impair the feeling of legal certainty. These legal framework often lead to discussions about the proportionality of the measures, especially when one considering that innocent people can also be affected by public investments. Data protection officers are calling for a deeper examination of the powers for this type of search.

The development of shoplifting in Germany

In the context of the case in Dorsten, it is also revealing to take a look at the development of cases of shoplifting in Germany. According to information from the Federal Criminal Police Office , the numbers have remained relatively stable over the past few years. This shows that shop theft is a continuous problem in retail.