Vienna remains tough: gun ban in Favoriten and Praterstern extended!

Vienna remains tough: gun ban in Favoriten and Praterstern extended!

The Vienna police continue to rely on weapons ban zones to increase public safety. As State Police Chief Gerhard Pürstl explained, the zones in Favoriten and Praterstern will remain in place because they have led to a significant decrease in violent crime. Since the introduction of these zones, 118 banned weapons have been seized in Favoriten, including 80 knives, while in neighboring Praterstern, 95 weapons, including 73 knives, were confiscated last year. Pürstl explained: “The weapons ban was certainly the right measure, and we will extend it,” he said Express reports.

Pürstl is even calling for a nationwide ban on carrying knives and weapons, as the zones are now recognized as effective in densely populated areas. This could include exceptions for gun license holders or hunters, but it turns out that there is an increased need for security, especially among the public. In recent years, police have noted a decline in home break-ins, but this has been overshadowed by ongoing violence in public spaces, often linked to migrant violence and juvenile crime. "You can see what's going on there. If there are stabbings, the police have to show their colors," emphasized Pürstl and pointed out that many of the activities of young people in these regions have already been investigated, which indicates an increased need for police protection, as well Cosmo reports.

In addition to the issue of weapons, the growing juvenile crime is also receiving particular attention. The police chief emphasized that more and more young people under the age of criminal responsibility are increasingly becoming involved in criminal activities. These developments have resulted in some of these young people committing over 150 crimes per month. Pürstl appealed to society to pay more attention to the education of these young people instead of simply imprisoning them. “The boys have to feel some consequence for their actions,” says Pürstl. Overall, in 2025 the Vienna police will remain focused on security measures in public spaces in order to strengthen the population's subjective feeling of security.