Turn of the year - More public prosecutors on standby on New Year's Eve
The Berlin public prosecutor's office has increased its on-call service for the coming New Year's Eve. According to the head of the office, Jörg Raupach, a total of four public prosecutors will be present at the on-call court. That is two more than usual, Raupach told the German Press Agency. The on-call duty at night has been increased from one person to three. "We simply don't know yet what will happen. For example, whether the Middle East conflict will exacerbate the situation at night." That's why it's important to take precautions, says Raupach.
There are trained colleagues on duty who are also familiar with the specifics of juvenile criminal law, for example, explained the senior public prosecutor, referring to the mostly young offenders. The lawyers are also experienced in criminal offenses in the areas of breach of the peace, arson or the use of explosives and pyrotechnics.
However, Raupach also emphasized that the situation is very different from that at demonstrations such as May Day. At such major events, there are focal points and the police can quickly gather the evidence needed to arrest suspects with "arrest squads" and the use of video technology. "An on-call public prosecutor on site can also be useful," said the head of the authority.
However, the situation on New Year's Eve is different. It is difficult to determine in advance where the deployment of such "arrest squads" makes sense.
At the turn of the year 2022/2023, there were riots across Germany, with particularly violent ones in Berlin. Due to attacks and firecrackers thrown at police officers and emergency services, significantly more police officers are to be deployed on New Year's Eve. According to the plans of the Senate Interior Administration, more than 2,800 police officers will be on duty in addition to the usual patrol car crews.
There are also plans for an additional so-called firecracker ban zone in Berlin-Neukölln in the area of Sonnenallee and Hermannplatz. There was an increase in violence there a year ago, most recently the Middle East war led to clashes. There have been firecracker bans in Schöneberg and Alexanderplatz in recent years.
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The German Public Prosecutor's Office in Berlin has increased its on-call service for New Year's Eve due to potential escalations, citing the Middle East conflict as a potential factor. (Referencing the German Press Agency and Jörg Raupach)
Despite an increase in public prosecutors and police officers, the turn of the year in Berlin has unfortunately been marked by riots and violence. (Referencing previous years and the Senate Interior Administration)
The public prosecutor's office and police are prepared to deal with criminality, including breach of the peace, arson, and pyrotechnics misuse. (Referencing the specific duties of the on-call lawyers)
In light of increased violence, Berlin has implemented additional firecracker ban zones, aiming to prevent future incidents. (Referencing the firecracker ban zone in Berlin-Neukölln)
Source: www.stern.de
