Overview
- Berlin police conducted 5,220 checks from mid-February 2025 to the end of January and seized 149 knives, opening 269 proceedings for violations.
- Serious incidents persisted in the Berlin zones, including 19 knife attacks and three shootings at Leopoldplatz, 29 knife attacks near Görlitzer Park, and 28 knife attacks at Kottbusser Tor.
- Police in Berlin report a deterrent effect with an initial drop in knife and gun offenses compared with the prior year.
- The police union GdP calls the zones a placebo and residents and business operators near Kottbusser Tor describe little visible improvement.
- Kiel will introduce three signposted, year-round weapons-ban zones in April covering areas around the main station, Gaarden, and the Old Town, with approval from the state Interior Ministry and permission for suspicionless searches.