How Effective Is a Deposit Safe? Real BKA & GDV Data for Businesses Handling Cash
How effective is a deposit safe really – and what do the official BKA and GDV statistics for Germany tell us? This article summarizes the most important data and shows, based on facts, why deposit safes are a highly effective security solution for any business that works with cash every day.
Burglary figures in Germany according to the BKA
The Police Crime Statistics (PKS) 2023 show a significant increase in burglary offences:
- 75,076 residential burglaries (+18.1% vs. 2022)
- 36,707 burglaries in commercial premises (+21.5%)
- 47.4% abandonment rate – offenders often stop when access is made more difficult
Businesses most affected are those with daily cash handling: gastronomy, bakeries, retail stores, branch operations, pharmacies and gas stations.
GDV data: Cash is hardly insured without a safe
According to the GDV, the average damage in 2023 was:
- €3,700 per burglary in private households
- €4,800–€6,500 in commercial businesses
Many insurance policies only cover cash in full if it was stored in an appropriate safe – deposit safes typically meet these requirements.
Why deposit safes reduce real-world burglary risk
According to VdS, offenders usually stay inside a property for only 3–5 minutes. A deposit safe prevents instant access to cash envelopes or receipts.
Effective security factors include:
- Deposit mechanism (slot or flap) that prevents fishing
- 3 mm steel body for basic protection
- 6 mm door thickness for increased resistance
- Solid anchoring to prevent removal
Practical example: Secure shift revenues by depositing instead of open storage
In restaurants and bakeries, shift revenues are often collected in envelopes. Common risks: internal access, night-time burglary, opportunistic robbery.
A secure workflow using a deposit safe:
- End of shift: Place cash and receipts in an envelope and deposit it directly into the safe.
- Overnight: Envelopes remain inaccessible to burglars.
- Collection: centrally by management or accounting staff.
The deposit mechanism makes manipulation by colleagues or offenders nearly impossible.
Which deposit safes are suitable for businesses?
For shift revenues and daily cash deposits:
- Deposit slot or deposit flap
- Anti-fishing protection
- Solid steel construction (3 mm body + 6 mm door)
- Mechanical or electronic lock
Conclusion
The rising burglary numbers clearly show: businesses handling cash are increasingly at risk again. A deposit safe reliably protects shift revenues, card receipts and daily takings — both during the night and during ongoing operations.
