Across the country, police recorded 78 burglaries on December 25th – the highest number this Christmas season but the lowest in years, the police told Ritzau on Monday morning.

The number is less than half compared to 2019, when 169 burglaries were registered, and far below the 227 burglaries reported on the same day in 2018.

The number of burglaries is also lower than in 2020 and 2021, when 79 and 89 homes were broken into by thieves on Christmas Day, respectively. However, those years are not a great benchmark, as many people celebrated Christmas at home due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The police emphasize that it is difficult to imagine that the number of robberies this Christmas will come close to the level of previous years.

The number of burglaries usually peaks on Christmas Day. It can vary from year to year, depending on when people return home from Christmas celebrations with friends and family.

Absences increase risk

However, as many people are working between Christmas and New Year this year, more people are probably taking a short holiday.

“There is a greater risk of burglary when you are not at home,” Christian Berthelsen at the National Police of Denmark said.

In addition, there are indications that it has become more difficult to be a burglar in Denmark these days.

“It is difficult to guess the reason for the decrease in burglaries. We believe people have become better at insuring themselves. There have been awareness campaigns over several years, and many people have become good at helping each other out.

“This applies, for example, to neighbours, who keep an eye on the residential areas and react to anything suspicious. And the police also focus on that,” he said.