A disturbing new report released by the Federal Criminal Office (BKA) paints a stark picture of escalating violence against law enforcement and emergency personnel in Germany. Registered instances of violent acts targeting police officers remain worryingly high, reaching 46,367 in 2024 – a level that has persisted despite ongoing efforts to address the problem.
The data reveals a 38.5% increase in violent acts against police officers since 2015. Crucially, the number of officers “affected” by these acts has risen even more dramatically, by 67.2%, indicating a broader impact on the police workforce. While the year-on-year increase in violent incidents is slight, at 0.3%, a total of 106,875 police officers were victimized, representing an additional 1,167 officers compared to 2023.
The escalating violence isn’t isolated to law enforcement. The report also documents the highest number of incidents affecting other emergency responders – including ambulance crews and the Technical Relief Organisation (THW) – since 2018, totaling 2,916 victims. This underlines a broader trend of increasing hostility towards public safety workers.
Resistance and physical assaults represent the most prevalent form of violence against police, impacting 87% of those targeted. Notably, the number of threats has risen by 2.1%, reaching 3,933 incidents in 2024. This shift suggests a worrying escalation in the nature of attacks, moving beyond physical confrontation to include psychological intimidation.
The concentration of violence is particularly acute in large urban centers. Despite housing only 17.5% of the German population, cities with populations of 500,000 or more accounted for a disproportionate 31.1% of all reported violent acts against police officers nationwide – a slight increase from the 30.2% recorded in 2023. This disparity highlights potential systemic issues within policing strategies and community relations in densely populated areas.
While the number of attempted and completed assaults resulting in serious injury has remained stagnant, the report reveals a concerning prevalence of weapon use. In 401 cases, a knife was involved in violent acts against police.
Analysis of suspects involved in these incidents reveals a pattern of largely male (83.1%) offenders over the age of 25 (75%), often acting alone (95.9%) and with prior police involvement (75.8%). A significant portion, nearly half (48.6%), were under the influence of alcohol at the time of the offense. Perhaps most controversially, the report notes an increase in the proportion of non-German suspects, rising from 33.6% to 34.9%, a figure likely to fuel ongoing debates about immigration and crime within Germany.
The rise in violence is prompting questions about the effectiveness of current policing strategies and the broader social factors contributing to the animosity towards public servants. The single murder of a police officer in Mannheim and the ongoing reports of threats and attacks have fuelled calls for a more robust response, with some politicians advocating for stricter penalties and increased resources for law enforcement training and equipment. The data necessitates a critical examination of these trends, moving beyond reactive measures to address the underlying causes of this worrying escalation in violence.