Attention! There has been a particularly high number of motorcycle thefts in North Rhine-Westphalia's Mettmann district recently!

The police are warning of motorcycle thieves in the Mettmann area!

In recent weeks, the police in the Mettmann district have recorded an increase in thefts of motorcycles from underground garages. By the beginning of this week alone, they had been notified of 16 cases in 2022 – including in the Langenfeld, Hilden, Ratingen, Heiligenhaus, and Erkrath areas. On February 15, two further cases were reported in Erkrath, bringing the total number of cases to 18, with total damages amounting to well over €200,000.

Various motorcycle brands are affected!

According to current information, mainly BMW, KTM, Suzuki, Kawasaki, and Yamaha motorcycles have been stolen so far. This is somewhat unusual, but it is certainly also due to the increased self-protection of Harley-Davidson owners. In times of long waiting periods for new vehicles, owners are now securing their bikes better, especially in underground garages, and in some cases even equipping them with GPS.

In the past, many Harley-Davidson motorcycles have been stolen, especially from underground parking garages. That doesn't mean that Harley-Davidson owners shouldn't still be careful, especially in North Rhine-Westphalia, when such gangs of thieves are on the prowl. They will take whatever they can steal with the least effort, so it's best to chain your beloved bike directly to the wall! The sooner they are caught, the better. At the end of the day, we are all motorcyclists and need to stick together!

How the perpetrators proceeded!

According to the current state of the police investigation, the perpetrators proceeded in the same manner in almost all cases: they gained unauthorized access to the underground garages – either through the roller doors or through access points in the stairwells of the connected apartment buildings. There, they stole the motorcycles and most likely loaded them onto a van, which they then used to flee undetected and unnoticed.

The police advise!

• Please ensure that no unauthorized persons gain access to your underground parking garages. Secure your roller doors and also the entrances to the underground parking garage in the building.
• If possible, secure motorcycles parked in underground garages not only with a disc brake lock, but also with a chain attached to a firmly anchored object. Make it as difficult as possible for potential motorcycle thieves.
• If you have the opportunity, equip your machine with a GPS tracker. If your machine is stolen, its location can then be easily determined.

This is what the police do:

The police have launched extensive investigations into the reported motorcycle thefts and have also issued an international search warrant for the stolen vehicles, as it cannot be ruled out that the motorcycles will be taken „across the border,“ where they will either be resold directly or dismantled and then sold in parts.

In addition, the police pay particular attention to underground parking garages during their patrols—but we can't be everywhere at once—which is why we need your help.

Therefore, please heed the police's request:

Keep your eyes open: If you see any suspicious delivery or transport vehicles or people in your neighborhood or around underground parking garages, don't hesitate to inform the police.

Please contact the Mettmann police with any information:
+49 2104 9820, or directly via the police emergency number 110

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