Combating clan crime: Around 850 offences registered

Last year, the Berlin police registered 849 offences which they classify as clan crime.

This was slightly less than in 2020 (1013), according to the current situation report on clan crime of the Berlin interior administration. According to the analysis published on Friday, 295 suspects (2020: 291) were classified as clan criminals. The 42-page paper states that the focus was on traffic offences, drugs, violence and property crime, as well as fraud. In addition, there were 245 administrative offences, mainly involving violations of corona measures and the Weapons Act.

Violence, property and traffic offences as well as prescription forgery

The accused are usually male, mostly between 18 and 30 years old, many are multiple offenders. According to the report, 35 offences last year alone were committed by a man over 30 years of age. In the past five years, 51 offences were attributed to the man - although he was in prison for 13 months. Apart from violence, property and traffic offences played a major role, but prescription forgery was also prominent. The investigators attributed 24 offences to a 22-year-old man, mostly involving violence and insults as well as traffic offences.

First delinquency often at an early age

According to the analysis, the persons under consideration all had a "considerable criminal career" that had started early and gradually solidified. As a rule, the first offence occurred at a clearly minor age. Older suspects are less likely to commit violent crimes. "There are experiences that suggest that they tend to act covertly and that influencing younger family members takes up more space," the report says. At around 43 per cent, German nationals made up the largest proportion of clan criminals, followed by persons with unclear status (just under 19 per cent) and Lebanese nationals (just under 16 per cent).

Numerous objects confiscated

During a total of 178 inspections - 71 of which were carried out in cooperation with other authorities - the police inspected 572 objects last year and closed 47 of them, according to the interior administration. In addition, the officers confiscated a number of items related to criminal offences - for example, more than 108,000 euros, 238 kilograms of water pipe tobacco, 55 vehicles, 53 gambling machines and 68 weapons or dangerous objects.

Berlin still considered a hotspot

Berlin is considered a hotspot of criminal activities by clan members nationwide. In 2018, the Red-Red-Green Senate adopted a five-point plan against clan crime and has since intensified its efforts against suspects from extended families, mostly of Arab origin. According to the interior administration, the central point is that the authorities cooperate across departmental boundaries.

Police union: situation report is "important reading"

The situation report is important reading, said the police union (GdP) in Berlin. "We are talking about a large number of young men from patriarchal structures who become conspicuous at a young age and subsequently turn up with increasingly serious offences in various fields of crime, have no qualms about violent confrontations with weapons, publicly brag about luxury goods and also join forces across clans for individual larger projects," said GdP spokesperson Benjamin Jendro.