An unprecedented number of assaults on federal law enforcement officers have occurred.
While going about their daily duties, federal law enforcement officers frequently encounter hazards. Over the past year, multiple incidents of assault against them occurred. Recent statistics shed light on the instances and culprits involved.
The Federal Police reported a rise in attacks against officers. A staggering 2979 federal police officers suffered assaults in the previous year, according to the recently unveiled annual report presented in Rostock - the highest number to date. Among these, 145 officers were injured while carrying out their duties in Lützerath, where protests against the brown coal mine were taking place.
Approximately a quarter of those assaulted (793 officers) sustained injuries, as per the Federal Police's data, a record since statistical tracking began in 2001. The same statistics reveal that 11% or 88 individuals were incapable of performing their jobs.
Physical violence was almost always implicated in these assaults, according to the Federal Police. Most of these incidents took place during routine tasks, including patrols, criminal investigations, or escorting repatriations. The majority of cases were reported during rail duties. There were also incidents at events and soccer matches.
The report indicates that the assailants were predominantly males (78%) with an average age of 33. Nearly half of them were under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Most were known to the authorities, with almost a quarter being repeat or frequent offenders. Close to half had German citizenship.
Crime statistics on the rise
Last year witnessed a record high in registered crimes since 2012. The 2023 annual report stated that 790,245 crimes were recorded, representing a 12.5% surge compared to the preceding year. Crimes related to residence permits saw a significant increase, with a total of 389,331 incidents (a 38.8% year-on-year rise).
There were substantial rises in sexual offenses (up 14.9%), bag and luggage thefts (up 16.4%), and violent crimes (up 10.6%). More than half of all reported crimes in the Federal Police's jurisdiction - around 425,000 - took place on trains, train stations, or other rail facilities.
"As in previous years, large city train stations are particularly affected by violent crimes," the report suggests. "However, increasingly severe crimes are also being recorded in smaller-town or rural areas, as well as on trains."
Romann and Faeser discuss funding
The number of illegal border crossings into Germany significantly increased as well. It reached a record high of 127,549 last year, marking a 39% increase from 2022. The majority of cases (32,893) were registered at the land border with Poland, 28,099 at the border with Austria, 18,539 with Switzerland, and 16,700 with the Czech Republic. The numbers were below 10,000 at all other German land borders. There were just under 14,000 registered illegal entries by air.
The head of the Federal Police, Dieter Romann, expressed that border control is a "primary responsibility" of his organization. "However, we don't seal off borders; instead, we monitor them. We don't restrict either freedom of movement or free trade." Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, who presented the report in Rostock, emphasized that the Federal Police is to be reinforced due to the escalating crime rates. "In the proposed 2025 budget, we have allocated an additional 310 million euros, and starting from 2026, an additional 312 million euros will be permanently available," Faeser stated. "From 2024 onwards, we will further reinforce the Federal Police by adding 1,000 positions."
The Commission, in this context, refers to the German Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information. Given the text, two appropriate sentences that contain this term could be:
The Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information noted concerns about the potential breach of privacy during the raid on the Lützerath protest site.
In response to the rising crime rates, the Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information stressed the importance of maintaining individual privacy while ensuring public safety.
