Vienna's Police Chief Pürstl: Weapon Prohibition Zones Effective During Controls
"No one has been able to explain to me why they need to run around with a knife," said Vienna's Police Chief Gerhard Pürstl. In a press conference, it was reported on six knife attacks resolved in August, some with life-threatening injuries, according to Gerhard Winkler from the State Criminal Office. One attack took place in the weapon prohibition zone in Favoriten, one of three such zones in Vienna. The Police President described the zone, which includes Keplerplatz and Reumannplatz, as an example of the effectiveness of such measures.
Decrease in Crime in Favoriten Weapon Prohibition Zone
In the area of the Favoriten weapon prohibition zone, which has been in effect since Easter 2024, there was a relatively strong increase in violent crime from 2023 to 2024. Therefore, the prohibition zone was enacted. Until the summer of the previous year, the numbers rose sharply again, which, according to Pürstl and Winkler, was likely due to territorial disputes and conflicts between representatives of the Chechen and Syrian communities. From May to July 2025, the police recorded a decrease in reports of violent crimes in the weapon prohibition zone by about ten percent compared to the same period in 2024, when there were peak values for these reports.
"The curve has thus flattened or is even declining," said Pürstl. However, it is still too early to say that this is a permanent development. The three-month period was used for comparison because more people are in public spaces due to the pleasant temperatures, and this is also when most crimes occur. "It is clear: merely enacting regulations is not enough, weapon prohibition zones must also be controlled," emphasized the Police President. And a functioning criminal police force is needed to ensure the investigation and punishment of the committed violent acts.
Vienna's Police Chief Pürstl: 75 Percent Clearance Rate in Violent Crime
Winkler pointed out in this context a clearance rate of 75 percent in violent crime in Vienna. He emphasized that the first point of investigation is to clarify any potential perpetrator-victim relationship. A cooperative victim is helpful, but this is not always the case. "In many cases, the victim knows the perpetrator but conceals this from us - for various reasons," said the head of the LKA investigation. One reason could be the thought of vigilante justice, another that territorial disputes, for example among drug dealers, were the basis of the conflict. It is obvious that representatives of this milieu are not particularly keen to talk to the police. "In some cases, the victim also disappears from the hospital before the interrogation can take place," said Winkler. He, like the Police President, emphasized the importance of video surveillance in public spaces.
Pürstl admitted that some representatives of the Syrian community, in particular, pose challenges for the police. The vast majority of weapons - especially knives - are confiscated from Syrian citizens. In the short time that the prohibition zone at Yppenplatz has been in effect, prohibited items were confiscated from five Syrians and two Austrian citizens. In the Favoriten zone, Syrian citizens also ranked first with 33, from whom prohibited items were confiscated, in the months of May to July. Austrians were in second place, with nine.
"We are increasingly dealing with Syrian offenders, there is no sugarcoating that," said Pürstl, adding that it is also a question of socialization in the country of origin. Getting them to stop carrying knives here will not be achieved through voluntariness alone. The police are, of course, trying to establish contacts within the Syrian community, but the executive is only a small cog in the wheel here. However, he does not see any signs of an emerging clan crime after the resolved conflicts between people of Syrian and Chechen origin.
(APA/Red)
This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.