Police: Fewer knife attacks in Berlin's ban zones

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  The Berlin police recorded slightly fewer crimes last year. (Archive photo)

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  Last year, the Berlin police recorded slightly fewer crimes overall and also fewer knife attacks in the new ban zones. (Archive image)

The Berlin police and the Senate believe that their strategy against knife attacks has been successful.

The decline in knife attacks in the three new weapon and knife prohibition zones amounted to between 25 and 45 percent last year, according to Interior Senator Iris Spranger (SPD) during the presentation of the police crime statistics for 2025. 

Ban zones have been in place since 2025

Since February 2025, the three ban zones have been Görlitzer Park and Kottbusser Tor in Kreuzberg and Leopoldplatz in Wedding. In addition, carrying weapons and knives on buses and trains was banned in July. However, there were a total of 3,599 cases recorded by the police in the category "knife attacks" (+5.5 percent). A new, more differentiated recording system also contributed to the increase.

Spranger: Security remains ongoing task

Spranger emphasized that four convicted knife offenders had since had their driver's licenses revoked due to a lack of character suitability. Nine others had to undergo a medical-psychological examination. In December, five people were banned from carrying knives in a pilot program. In 26 cases, a ban is being considered. "Safety in a growing metropolis like Berlin remains an ongoing task," said the senator. "Our goal is clear: everyone in this city should feel safe in their everyday lives, in their neighborhoods and in public spaces."

Clearance rate of 44.9 percent

Last year, the police recorded 502,743 crimes in their statistics - 36,306 cases or 6.7 percent fewer than in 2024. The clearance rate was 44.9%. Most of the crimes were thefts and burglaries. However, cybercrime and drug offenses also played a role. The number of violent crimes such as bodily harm was around 80,500 cases according to the statistics. The official crime statistics only reflect a fraction of the actual crimes committed. Many thefts, drug offenses, frauds, and acts of violence in relationships and families are never reported to the police and therefore do not appear in any statistics.