Weapons ban in Vienna favorites: Youth crime hits a new measure!

Weapons ban in Vienna favorites: Youth crime hits a new measure!

A weapon ban zone was introduced at the Reumannplatz in Vienna favorites in order to counteract the increasing youth crime. Interior Minister Gerhard Karner evaluates this measure as an important first step in the fight against problematic development. Since the zone came into force in March 2024, 187 weapons have already been confiscated, including over 130 knives. Nevertheless, the situation remains tense: in Vienna, youth crime rose by nine percent, while it declined by five percent throughout Austria. The recent knife attacks that continue to take place despite the ban are particularly alarming.

On Tuesday there was a focus campaign against youth crime, in which 2,470 ads were reimbursed and 147 minors were arrested. This pressure on the criminals seems to be necessary: On June 16, three people had to be cared for after a knife attack on Reumannplatz, and five suspect Syrians aged 16 to 24 were determined.

Create safe rooms

The weapon ban zone is intended to increase security on the Reumannplatz, a place that has recently come into focus through multiple attacks. An incident that was particularly shocked was the attack on a 20-year-old after visiting the Interior Minister Karner. Young perpetrators are often involved in the attacks, which further fueled the debate about youth crime in Austria. Karner plans a law that is intended to introduce a nationwide ban on weapons and reduce the freath of punishment.

challenges in the fight against youth crime

The current situation is worrying: According to current statistics, the number of advertisements against young people between the ages of 10 and 14 have almost doubled last year. The increase in the advertisements with Syrian suspects, which rose from 150 in 2020 to around 1,000 in 2023, is particularly striking. Karner sees the stop of the family reunification as a long -term approach to this problem, since 90 percent of Syrian citizens would be affected by this measure.

The discussion about "SystemSprenger" - minor intensive offenders, who are more often punishable - brings additional complexity into the debate. These perpetrators commit up to 50 crimes per month. Critics of the prohibition of weapons, such as Hannah Reiter from the Vienna Center for Social Science Security Research, express skepticism in relation to their actual effectiveness towards crime.

By introducing weapons ban zones, the government hopes to improve security in the affected areas in combination with increased police actions and preventive measures. It is to be hoped that these measures of youth crime in Vienna will be able to make the end step by step and that Reumannplatz will soon be a safe place for everyone.

Finally, it can be stated that the crime rate will be observed closely in the coming months. The path to improvement could still be long, but the political will to move something is obviously there. Short -term successes could also influence the debate about a possible increase in youth crime as a whole - a challenge that affects the entire social environment in addition to the police.

For more information about this problem, a look at Kurier, Puls24 and Rainews