- Berlin's administrative leader inclines towards instating a prohibition on knives.
Berlin's city mayor Kai Wegner from the CDU party expresses support for a comprehensive knife ban, but expresses concerns about its enforceability. "I'd be quite on board with a full-blown prohibition on carrying knives. The catch is, it'd need to be enforced citywide, or else we'd be looking at some serious law and order issues. That's quite a challenge in a city like Berlin," Wegner stated to the "Rheinische Post". The conversation took place prior to the knife attack during the 650th anniversary celebration of Solingen, resulting in three fatalities and numerous severe injuries.
Nonetheless, Wegner speaks positively about targeted inspections, such as those conducted at U-Bahn and S-Bahn stations. "We need to ramp up those efforts," he suggested. Wegner had previously advocated for knife-free areas in specific locations.
Moreover, Wegner criticizes the proposals of Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) to combat knife attacks as inadequate. "I believe we need to delve into the root causes, analyze the offender circles, and ensure that no knives are carried at all," Wegner comments.
In response to the surge in knife attacks, Faeser intends to tighten gun laws, limiting the public carrying of knives with a blade length of only six centimeters, versus the current twelve-centimeter limit. A general ban on carrying dangerous switchblades would also be implemented.
Last year saw 8,951 instances of severe bodily harm nationwide, involving the use of knives to harm or intimidate someone, representing a 5.6% increase compared to the previous year. Recently, the Federal Police reported 373 knife-related incidents at German train stations in the first half of the year.
Despite Wegner's support for a comprehensive knife ban, he acknowledges that its enforceability across the city of Berlin could present "some serious law and order issues." On a different note, Wegner expresses disapproval towards the knife control measures proposed by Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, suggesting that a focus on addressing the root causes and preventing knife carry altogether would be more effective.
