Number of criminal offences increased in Berlin

Iris Spranger (l, SPD), Berlin Senator for the Interior and Sport, and Barbara Slowik Meisel , Berlin Police Commissioner.

The police counted more than half a million offences in Berlin in 2024 - just under 1,500 per day.

Exactly 539,049 offences were registered, which is 0.4 percent or 2,352 offences more than in the previous year. While cases of bodily harm or cellar burglaries increased significantly, shoplifting, knife attacks and drug offences, for example, decreased. This is according to the crime statistics presented by Senator of the Interior Iris Spranger (SPD) and Police Commissioner Barbara Slowik Meisel.

Many offenders under the age of 21

Accordingly, the police identified 143,534 suspects. This was 2,914 suspects or 2.1 per cent more than in the previous year. Almost one in five (18.1 per cent) were under the age of 21. Almost 44 per cent of the suspects do not have German citizenship. Only about every second offence was solved. As in 2023, the rate here was 45.5 per cent. 113,473 people were registered as victims of a criminal offence in Berlin in 2024. That was 6,802 people or 6.4 per cent more than in 2023. "The figures show a fact-based picture and thus the current reality," said Spranger about the statistics. "Although Berlin has grown, we have fewer offences today than ten years ago." Nevertheless, she did not want to "gloss over" the statistics, said the senator.

3,412 knife attacks registered

Murder and manslaughter are considered capital offences. In 2024, the police counted 53 of these homicide offences, 19 more than in the previous year. The most spectacular case was the series of ten murders allegedly committed by a palliative care doctor against elderly people. If attempted homicides are included, the total number for 2024 rises to 117, an increase of 40 cases or 52 per cent compared to the previous year. The police also registered 3,412 knife attacks. This was 70 attacks or 2 per cent fewer than in the previous year. However, the figure is the second highest in a long-term comparison and is clearly too high, said Spranger. Almost 88 per cent of the suspects identified were male, 58 per cent were not German nationals. The Senator of the Interior referred to her strategy against such offences, which includes, among other things, no-knife zones and, more recently, the sanctioning of convicted offenders with the withdrawal of their driving licence.

More violent offences in partnerships and families

Violent offences in partnerships and families increased by 2.3 percent to 19,213. According to Spranger, this is the highest figure for ten years. More than 70 per cent of the victims are female. 66 women were seriously and 9 fatally injured in this context. Spranger also referred to the high number of attacks on police officers. According to statistics, 10,584 police officers were victims of violence while on duty in 2024, many in connection with demonstrations. This was 981 officers or 10.2 per cent more than in 2023. In contrast, the number of attacks on fire and rescue service personnel fell by 50 to 326 (-13.3 per cent) within the space of a year. The Senator of the Interior attributed this to increased protection by the police on New Year's Eve, for example.

Rise in the number of drug-related deaths

Finally, slightly more space was given to drug-related crime when the statistics were presented. This fell by 3,056 cases or 17.5 per cent to 14,446 offences in 2024. Police Commissioner Slowik Meisel attributed this development to the partial legalisation of cannabis. However: "According to our assessment, the partial legalisation has not yet been able to push back the black market for cannabis; if anything, it seems to be flourishing." This may be due to the fact that little legal cannabis has been available to date. According to Slowik Meisel, 294 drug-related deaths (2023: 271) mark the highest level since the beginning of the century. The most common causes were cocaine and heroin or cocktails of several drugs.

Significantly more politically motivated crime

In addition to the police crime statistics, Spranger and Slowik Meisel also presented figures on politically motivated crime in the past year. The investigators registered 8,309 cases, 1,881 offences or 29.3 percent more than in the previous year. The number of politically motivated violent offences rose even more sharply - by 76.4 percent: 965 cases represent an increase of 418 cases. The increase is largely due to anti-Semitic offences, the number of which doubled to 1,823, not least as a result of the Middle East war. In total, investigators recorded 3,137 offences relating to the Middle East conflict, 2,252 offences or 254.5 percent more than in 2023. These included incitement to hatred, propaganda offences and the use of unconstitutional signs.

More politically motivated crime from the right, left-wing crime on the decline

Politically motivated crime from the right rose by 461 cases or 19.9 per cent to 2,782 offences. According to Slowik, a significant decline in violent offences in this area was offset by sharp increases in so-called propaganda offences, hate postings, coercion and threats. Political crime from the left fell by 450 cases or 39.7 per cent to 684 cases.