Monday, October 27
The Bundespolizei extended the ban on knives, pepper spray and blunt weapons, originally supposed to stay in place until October 27, until November 17. The ban is in effect at 15 major Berlin railway stations and at Potsdam Hauptbahnhof.
Regular checks have revealed hundreds of violations of the weapons ban, and according to the Vice President of the Berlin Bundespolizei, “the extension is necessary to continue to ensure the safety of citizens and protect public order.” The ban gives the Bundespolizei the authority to check and, if necessary, search individuals even without concrete suspicions. It covers knives, batons, pepper spray and other dangerous items and applies in addition to the Berlin police’s knife ban on public transport, which was enacted in mid-July.
During the checks, a total of 124 knives, 73 irritants, nine tools, 13 cutting weapons, nine other weapons and 21 other dangerous objects were confiscated. Officers also uncovered a further 329 criminal offences. These included 81 violent crimes, 58 residence offences and 54 drug offences. In 25 cases, outstanding arrest warrants were executed.
Affected stations include: Alexanderplatz, Friedrichstraße, Gesundbrunnen, Hauptbahnhof, Herrmannstraße, Hauptbahnhof, Lichtenberg, Neukölln, Ostkreuz and others.
