More crime: number of violent crimes on the rise

During the coronavirus pandemic, things were comparatively quiet in Hamburg - including in terms of crime. After the measures were lifted, the number of crimes rose again in the first half of the year - and the trend is continuing.

, and ZEITUNG «AUSSIEDLERBOTE»

2023 December 2 . 2:15 PM

2 min read

A session of the Hamburg Parliament in City Hall. Photo.aussiedlerbote.de

Hamburg - More crime: number of violent crimes on the rise

Violent crime continues to rise in Hamburg. The number of cases of murder, manslaughter, rape, robbery and grievous bodily harm recorded in the police crime statistics (PKS) rose by almost 13 percent in the first nine months of this year compared to the same period last year, according to the Senate's response to a minor written question from the CDU parliamentary group, which was made available to the German Press Agency. The total number of recorded crimes increased by 14.5 percent to a total of almost 160,000 during this period.

In its response, however, the Senate pointed out that the PKS is designed for an annual evaluation and its informative value is limited when looking at shorter periods of time.

"It is becoming increasingly dangerous on Hamburg's roads," CDU parliamentary group leader Dennis Thering told dpa. "The fact that there have already been 18 completed and 34 attempted intentional homicides in Hamburg in the first three quarters of this year alone is alarming." According to the Senate's response, the number of completed cases of murder and manslaughter has doubled compared to the first nine months of 2022.

There were also significant increases in rape, sexual assault or assault and robbery - by a good 37 and almost 25 percent respectively compared to the same period last year. Resistance to public authority and crimes against public order even increased by almost 54% to just under 5,800 cases.

"Around 70 percent of the increase in the number of cases in Hamburg is attributable to the Hamburg-Mitte district," writes the Senate. Here, the districts of St. Georg with the main railway station and St. Pauli with the entertainment district recorded the highest figures. "In addition to other factors, both the revitalization of public spaces following the abolition of the corona measures and increased police presence measures had a particular impact on the number of cases there." The smallest increase was recorded in the Altona district.

"Thepolice and justice system must finally be set up by the SPD and the Greens throughout the city in such a way that the perpetrators are quickly brought to justice," said Thering. He described the considerable increase in foreign suspects as alarming. According to the Senate's response, the number rose in the first three quarters compared to the same period last year, especially among suspects under the age of 21: adjusted for immigration law violations by more than a third.

The number of all non-German suspects in this area increased by almost 13 percent. According to the PKS, Afghan, Turkish and Polish citizens are the most frequently suspected offenders.

The responsible authorities must do everything they can "to deport foreign criminals consistently and swiftly and prevent them from re-entering the country", demanded Thering. "The federal government must also finally ensure that disorderly and uncontrolled immigration to Germany is stopped and that false incentives are put to an end."