Police crime statistics
Violent crime increased in the first half of 2023
Holger Münch, President of the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA), at the BKA autumn meeting. photo
© Arne Dedert/dpa
BKA boss Münch speaks of a “worrying” development in view of the increasing numbers of violent crimes. Experts discussed ways to break waves of violence in Wiesbaden.
In the first half of 2023, violent crime in Germany rose significantly. According to preliminary police data According to crime statistics (PKS), the numbers rose by around 17 percent compared to the same period last year, as the President of the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA), Holger Münch, said at a specialist conference in Wiesbaden. The increase was mainly recorded on public streets and squares – less in private living space.
All crimes that become known to the police are included in these crime statistics. The count occurs when the case is turned over to law enforcement. At the BKA autumn meeting, security experts will discuss the question “Causes and dynamics of violence – how do we break the wave?” until Friday. Another important topic was the fight against anti-Semitism, for example in connection with the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel on October 7th.
BKA President: Increase “worrying”
Münch called the increase in violent crimes “worrying because we don’t know where it’s going.” A long-term downward trend appears to have ended. One of the reasons for the higher numbers was that people were out and about in public more after corona-related restrictions were lifted. This would result in more opportunities and reasons for crime.
In addition, inflation is being perceived as a major problem by the population for the first time in years. The BKA boss explained that this correlates with the number of violent crimes. The number of cases and suspects is higher in economically weaker regions. Another aspect is the social stress on children and young people as a result of the Corona measures. These could affect the susceptibility to crime.
As a third point, Münch mentioned the currently high immigration rates, which is increasing both the overall population and the proportion of foreigners in the total population. It can be assumed that many people seeking protection have several risk factors that make violent crime more likely. “This includes the living situation in the initial reception centers as well as economic insecurities and experiences of violence.”
The BKA announced that there was a greater increase in violent acts among foreigners than among Germans in the first half of 2023 compared to the same period last year. However, in relation to the significantly increased number of non-German people in the total population, the relative increase in German and non-German suspects is similar.
Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) emphasized that crime cannot be successfully combated with criminal law alone. “If we want to get to the root of the problem,” then we also have to look at socio-political causes.
Politically motivated crime doubled
According to Münch, the number of politically motivated crimes has more than doubled within ten years. This increase shows “the escalation of political and social tensions – in some cases leading to an attempted delegitimization of the state and its monopoly on violence.”
Possible drivers of such a development are the currently diverse insecurity and stress factors that society is confronted with in times of multiple international crises, explained Münch.
With regard to anti-Semitic propaganda in Germany, extremism researcher Ahmad Mansour sees an increasing potential for radicalization, for example among right-wing extremists and Muslim young people. Hamas is waging a war on several fronts – “and one of these fronts is in Europe and the ability to mobilize people on the streets here,” he explained.
While Hamas reaches people using highly emotional images and fake news on social media, among other things, there is an enormous amount of catching up to do in “digital social work” in Germany.
According to Münch, more than 3,700 crimes have been registered in Germany in this context since Hamas’ terrorist attack on Israel on October 7th.
BKA autumn conference