Rising knife attacks: Gelsenkirchen starts action Better without a knife

Rising knife attacks: Gelsenkirchen starts action Better without a knife

Gelsenkirchen. Alarming figures over knife attacks drive the police in Gelsenkirchen to drastic measures! The crime statistics show a shocking increase: from 112 knife attacks in 2022 to an incredible 188 last year - that's almost 68 percent more! A third of these attacks are dangerous bodily harm that the city frighten and terror.

In order to counteract this growing threat, Interior Minister Herbert Reul (CDU) created the "better without a knife" initiative. This campaign combines preventive and restrictive measures to sensitize the population. Posters with the haunting slogan "better without a knife" are hung in accommodation facilities, refugee accommodation and social institutions. The message is particularly aimed at the young generation and is also spread through social media. Reul emphasizes that the posters are clear and understandable to underline the urgency of the topic.

strict controls and measures

But that's not all! The police are planning targeted controls in the urban area to enforce the weapon carrier bans for intensive offenders. The expansion of weapon ban zones and mobile video surveillance are also part of the package of measures. The authorities urgently warn: "Even small knives can cause serious injuries or even be fatal." The Situation is serious, because 3,536 cases of knife violence were registered in all of North Rhine-Westphalia last year-an alarming increase of 42.6 percent compared to the previous year!

A worrying trend is also evident in the suspects: Many of them are young men who often have a disproportionately no German nationality. A significant proportion, namely 39.3 percent, are immigrants. The police and the state government do everything they can to increase security in Gelsenkirchen and to protect the citizens from this growing danger.