The Ministry of the Interior announces:
In the fight against violent crime, especially knife violence, the North Rhine-Westphalian police, together with forces from the public order services, once again stepped up checks throughout the state on Friday, August 4, 2023. More than 500 officers were involved. Officers were deployed in Bielefeld, Bonn, Düsseldorf and Cologne.
Interior Minister Herbert Reul explains: "We won't let up until everyone understands. Knives have no place in a trouser pocket. That's why the police officers checked even more people this time, 12,531 in total."
The officers were mainly out and about in the four cities where many party-goers spend their Friday evening: In the city centers of Bielefeld and Bonn, on the banks of the Rhine in Bonn, in the gun ban zones in Düsseldorf's old town and on the Ringen in Cologne. As on the last day of action, the majority of people were checked in Düsseldorf. The police seized 32 knives throughout the state, including 9 knives prohibited under the Weapons Act and 23 knives that are only prohibited within the weapons ban zones. The police also confiscated a baton and three irritant spraying devices - both of which are prohibited under the Weapons Act. During the night, the forces deployed filed a total of 55 criminal charges (one of which was for a violation of the Weapons Act) and 72 misdemeanor charges. The police made provisional arrests of two people and took three people into custody. 128 people were banned from the premises.
Herbert Reul: "We don't want to spoil anyone's start to the weekend with our controls. But we cannot and will not accept the fact that too many people grab a knife like a key or wallet when leaving their home. All too often, the knife becomes a life-threatening weapon."
This is the third time in just a few weeks that the police have taken action against knife violence in this way. The reason for the control focus was several tragic incidents in recent weeks and months in which knives played a role. On the public holiday weekend from April 28 to May 1, 2023 alone, there were attacks with knives in eight cities in North Rhine-Westphalia. In Leverkusen, a 35-year-old man succumbed to his serious stab wounds.
In 2022, the police in North Rhine-Westphalia recorded a total of 5,081 cases involving a stabbing. In 625 cases, a knife prohibited under the Weapons Act was used. In 4,343 cases another knife was used and in 113 cases another stabbing weapon. The police in North Rhine-Westphalia are also responding to the increased figures in the areas of violent crime and child and youth crime with these checks.