German police call for further security measures after spate of knife attacks

Following nan latest convulsive stabbing onslaught astatine Hamburg cardinal position connected Friday, 2 of Germany's largest constabulary waste and acquisition unions are advocating for enhanced video surveillance, accrued staffing, and further controls to bolster rule enforcement efforts.

At slightest 18 group were injured aft a 39-year-old German female pinch a intelligence wellness information attacked a group of group pinch a weapon astatine nan position during unreserved hour.

The onslaught occurred contempt nan position being taxable to a weapon prohibition since December 2024, which fines anyone recovered carrying a bladed entity pinch a €10,000 penalty.

Police forces and experts are calling for different measures connected apical of a weapon prohibition successful consequence to nan incident, which follows a spate of akin attacks, including 1 successful Bielefeld nan week anterior successful which 5 were injured.

DPoIG nationalist president Rainer Wendt based on connected Monday that "modern video technology" must beryllium utilized successful areas pinch precocious crime rates.

In addition, Germany's rule enforcement would request "considerably much constabulary forces and alleviation from non-prison tasks" to instrumentality specified technology, Wendt told Euronews. The problem is 1 of "capacity", according to Wendt.

His comments echo those of GdP president Andreas Roßkopf, who advocated for placing surveillance cameras pinch facial nickname exertion successful alleged "crime hotspots" successful nan aftermath of nan attack.

Such cameras could "detect behavioural problems successful advance," Roßkopf told nan home press. In different interview, Roßkopf besides called for constabulary to beryllium capable to transportation retired accrued checks without origin to tackle weapon crime.

A spokesperson for nan German interior ministry said that aft nan latest incident, information would erstwhile again return a beforehand seat. "Video surveillance is portion of nan concept. We are already testing AI-based video surveillance astatine Hansaplatz that detects conspicuous activity patterns," spokesperson Daniel Schaefer said.

Experts work together that weapon bans by themselves are not ever impactful successful combating crime — partially owed to nan trouble successful enforcing them successful places specified arsenic engaged train stations for illustration Hamburg's, done which thousands walk daily.

"Weapons prohibition zones successful my position are not a sustainable attack to crime prevention," criminologist astatine nan University of Zurich Dirk Baier told Euronews. "They trust excessively heavy connected controlling and searching passersby."

However, according to Baier, neither artificial intelligence nor accrued constabulary powers is simply a azygous solution to preventing much weapon crime.

"Knives tin beryllium inconspicuously carried successful pants aliases overgarment pockets, AI cannot observe that. And weapon attackers only behave conspicuously astatine nan infinitesimal of nan attack, not beforehand," Baier said.

Preventative activity successful schools and early discovery are much effective, Baier believes. "Often, individuals who perpetrate weapon crimes person antecedently exhibited fierce behaviour. The consequence posed by specified individuals must beryllium identified earlier."

DPoIG's Wendt said nan family besides plays a captious domiciled successful nan prevention of convulsive weapon attacks.

"For young people, it is supra each their families who are responsible. If acquisition teaches that it is okay to transportation knives, schools, playgrounds and each different nationalist spaces go vulnerable places," he said.

"Parental work must beryllium emphasised much than before. They are responsible for ensuring that their children spell to schoolhouse unarmed. If necessary, sanctions must beryllium utilized to make it clear to them that this is not a trivial matter," Wendt concluded.

Knife crime has steeply risen successful Germany complete nan past fewer years, pinch constabulary statistic showing an almost 10% year-on-year summation successful bodily assaults involving knives since 2023.

Restrictions, specified arsenic those successful spot astatine Hamburg train station, were put successful spot aft a wide fatal stabbing successful nan occidental metropolis of Solingen successful 2024, successful which 3 group were killed.