Burglars take their share of the pie
Consumers' appetite for high-end items has boosted the national economy - and improved working conditions for the average burglar
Estate agents, CEOs and building contractors are not the only ones benefitting from the current economic upswing. Burglars have given themselves a handsome raise over the past four years as well.
While the typical heist yielded DKK 15,000 in 2000, that number had increased to DKK 19,000 by last year.
The increased earnings appeared to have inspired burglars to cut back on their working hours. According to the national statistics bureau, the number of break-ins decreased for the third year in a row.
Insurance companies remained sceptical, however, as to whether the decreasing number of robberies was a benefit to the industry.
'It would appear that thieves have simply become more for focused and efficient and that isn't exactly something to jump for joy about,' Christian Skødt, a consultant for the Danish Insurance Information Service, told daily newspaper metroXpress.
Police have also noticed that the economic upswing has made thieves more focused.
'We used to see thieves nab a bunch of different things when they broke in, but today there are more luxury items in homes, and that's what thieves concentrate on,' said Odense police commissioner Jørn Heselund.