Collection boxes forced open: lessons from German parishes in 2025 and how to protect church donations
Forced-open collection boxes are the costliest single item whenever churches are targeted by thieves. That is the finding of a survey carried out in August 2025 by the Evangelical Press Service (Evangelischer Pressedienst, epd) among Germany's regional Protestant churches (Landeskirchen) and Catholic dioceses. In this article we summarise the figures and outline what parishes, parish offices and parish councils should consider when protecting collections and donations.
The figures: findings of the 2025 epd survey
In the Archdiocese of Paderborn, 65 cases of damage in total were recorded between 1 August 2024 and 31 July 2025, among them 21 instances of damage to buildings and 23 of vandalism. The losses came to roughly 104,000 euros. For comparison, in 2014 there were 10 cases with damage of about 21,500 euros. The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Saxony (Evangelische Landeskirche Sachsens) recorded 55 cases of criminal damage, trespass, theft and arson. The Diocese of Regensburg and the Archdiocese of Cologne likewise report a rise.
The churches cite criminal damage, theft and soiling as the most common offences. Forced-open collection boxes cause particularly severe losses, because alongside the cash the box itself is usually damaged, and often the masonry or pews as well. Altar decorations, candlesticks, altar Bibles, collection containers and technical equipment are also taken.
The Diocese of Passau illustrates how rapidly cases can mount up: in September 2025 alone, 15 churches there were broken into, as many as in a normal full year. Collection boxes were forced open or carried off altogether. The diocesan authorities advise emptying collection boxes promptly, locking away unsecured items and reporting every incident to the police.
Sources: epd survey, published on 17 and 19 August 2025 (including on domradio.de and sonntagsblatt.de); Diocese of Passau, statement dated 6 October 2025.
Why an open church and cash must be reconciled
Most parishes want to keep their church open during the day. That is exactly what makes the collection box a target: it stands unsupervised, everyone knows it holds cash, and an old wooden box or a thin sheet-metal container is open within seconds. The countermeasures mentioned in the epd survey extend from alarm systems and video surveillance, through security glass and grilles, to restricted opening hours with volunteer stewards. Every one of these measures costs money or time on an ongoing basis, and each limits the very openness that parishes wish to maintain.
One entry on that same list is cheaper and lasting: the theft-resistant collection box. It acts where the loss arises and allows the church to stay open.
What a secure collection box needs
A collection box is, at its core, a small drop safe. Four characteristics decide whether it resists an attempted break-in:
1. Steel rather than wood or sheet metal. A collection box with 3 mm walls and a 6 mm door of hardened steel cannot be opened with a screwdriver or crowbar. The heavy-duty version has 5 mm walls.
2. Anchoring to wall or floor. In the Diocese of Passau, collection boxes were carried off whole. A collection box anchored to the wall or floor with anchor bolts cannot simply be taken away. The heavy-duty version has 10 fixing points, six for the wall and four for the floor. With the collection boxes with corner drop slot, the fixing material is included in the delivery.
3. Narrow drop slot with anti-fishing protection. The drop slot of 10 × 100 mm takes notes and coins but will not admit a hand. Behind it sits an anti-fishing device, which stops notes being fished back out with wire or sticky tape. In the heavy-duty version this consists of a hook system.
4. Two-person rule for emptying. Whoever manages the collection must not only guard against thieves but also account to the parish. A collection box with two locks can only be opened when two key holders are present together. That shields the volunteers from any suspicion.
Which model suits which church
| Situation | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Church open during the day, collection box on the wall in the entrance area | Collection box with corner drop slot, security level A, wall anchoring |
| Large church, many visitors, collection box free-standing in the open | Heavy-duty collection box with 5 mm steel and 10 fixing points, floor anchoring |
| Collection managed by several volunteers | Collection box with two locks on the two-person principle |
| Historic collection box is to be kept | Retire the historic piece and leave it as decoration, and install a steel collection box beside it |
The collection boxes named here are rated security level A under the German standard VDMA 24992, are insurable for up to 1,500 euros and come with two keys.
- Collection box with corner drop slot, security level A
- Collection box with corner drop slot, two-person principle
- Heavy-duty collection box, 10 fixing points
- All collection boxes and donation safes
Three rules for day-to-day use
Even the best collection box does not replace routine. From the dioceses' recommendations, three rules follow:
- Empty it regularly. The less cash in the box, the smaller the loss. Fixed days for emptying, ideally following services and in advance of public holidays.
- Never empty it alone. Two people and a written record with date and amount. This protects the volunteers and makes the parish's accounts easier to keep.
- Report every break-in. The dioceses explicitly request this so that patterns can be recognised. A police report is in any case a requirement for the insurance.
Summary
The figures from Paderborn, Saxony and Passau make it clear that forced-open collection boxes are no longer isolated cases but a growing problem. Cameras and locked doors protect, but at the expense of openness. A collection box of hardened steel, firmly anchored, with anti-fishing protection and two locks where needed, protects the donations at the very point where a thief strikes, and lets the church remain open. If you have questions about the suitable model or about fitting, we are happy to help.
