LUXEMBOURG — The Ville de Luxembourg and the police grand-ducale will install warning markings around tram stops after the Pentecost school holidays, in a new anti-pickpocket campaign carried out with Luxtram. The markings are meant to alert passengers before they board the tram, moving the warning to the point where police say many thefts begin.

Mayor Lydie Polfer said theft has become one of the city’s main security problems. She said Luxembourg recorded 7,704 simple thefts in 2025, up from 6,095 in 2024, while violent thefts rose to 434 from 340. Together, the two categories reached 8,138 cases in 2025, compared with 6,435 the year before. “C’est le côté moins agréable d’une ville qui possède un immense attrait,” she said, adding that theft is now “un problème quotidien” and describing it as a real, organized phenomenon.

The new markings are the latest step in a campaign the city and police presented Wednesday at the City Breakfast. Police have already used prevention stands, leaflets, visible patrols, checks on public transport, announcements and messages displayed inside trams. Polfer said that work matters, but that officers often arrive only after an incident has already happened. “La police intervient quand un incident s’est déjà produit, pour en dresser le constat. Mais nous préférerions de loin faire en sorte, dès le départ, que cela arrive moins souvent,” she said.

Steve Goedert said tram stops are especially exposed because people are waiting, distracted and packed close together. He said many thefts happen as passengers board or leave the tram, when there is contact and close proximity. “À chaque entrée et sortie du tramway, nous afficherons ces messages au sol, car c’est à ce moment-là et à cet endroit que la plupart des vols ont lieu,” he said. The city’s bet now is simple: if the warning is placed where the crowd forms, some thefts may never get a chance to happen.