NRW fights against knife violence: bans in arms in the district of Kleve!

NRW fights against knife violence: bans in arms in the district of Kleve!

In the fight against rising knife power in North Rhine-Westphalia, Interior Minister Herbert Reul (CDU) took extensive measures that are particularly aimed at the district of Kleve. This initiative follows alarming statistics on knife crimes in the region. According to the State Criminal Police Office, around 3,500 knife quarters were registered in 2023, which corresponds to an increase of 43 percent compared to the previous year. 15 people have died from knife attacks in recent years.

This has led to the Kleve district police authority implementing a ten-point plan to give police officers more scope for action. In particular, this plan aims to inform migrants and refugees about the dangers and social norms in dealing with knives. Officials in particular regularly attend refugee accommodation in the district to convey that it is not necessary to wear knives for self -defense. Thorsten Schröder, Head of the Directorate Crime of the Kleve district police authority, emphasizes that the knife has a different meaning for many refugees due to their escape stories.

statistical insights

The evaluation of the position of the situation "Violence in public space-Authority knife in North Rhine-Westphalia 2019 to 2023", which was presented on August 28, 2024, offers further insights into the problem. Interior Minister Reul emphasized the need to find out more about perpetrators, deeds and victims in order to take a targeted action against knife attacks. The high proportion of suspects without a German passport of around 45 percent also fell into his considerations. Larryen's predominantly male, adolescent perpetrators and the times that mostly focus on evening and night hours show a clear pattern of violent crimes.

Reul and the police react to these developments with a number of planned measures that are to be individually adapted to the local conditions. This includes not only individual weapon carrier bans and weapon ban zones, but also mobile video observation and strategic search. In the future, the police will work more precisely in refugee accommodation in order to raise awareness of the dangers of knife power, which is necessary according to the current position reports.

The situation in North Rhine-Westphalia shows that combating the knife power is a task for society as a whole. The police and the political decision -makers agree that a decline in knife crimes can only be achieved through extensive prevention work and the integration of the community. The current measures are a first step in this direction.

Further information on the developments and statistics can be found in the detailed position of the position as well as in the current reports of the state government at This link .