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Berlin.- The Government of the city-state of Berlin will prohibit by means of a regulation to carry knives and other weapons on public transport, after violent incidents have increased in the German capital, Interior Senator Iris Spranger reported this Tuesday.
According to statements by Spranger cited by the regional public broadcaster RBB, the ban will come into effect in mid-July and will affect buses, as well as the subway and suburban trains. The measure will allow the police to search public transport passengers to determine if they are carrying a knife, regardless of whether there is a specific suspicion, something that was not legal until now. Regional authorities in Germany have the power to decree that carrying knives is prohibited in certain areas, and Berlin has already applied the measure to several parks and squares known as hotspots for crime. In addition, carrying weapons in certain subway stations was temporarily prohibited in May. The so-called "knife ban" - because this is the most frequent weapon - however, also includes firearms, scissors longer than six centimeters, axes, awls, crossbows and batons, among others.You may be interested in: An unknown person sets fire to a woman on a tram in eastern Germany
In case of infringement, agents can confiscate the weapon and impose fines. According to official data, in 2024, 3,412 crimes involving knife attacks were committed in Berlin, an average of about ten per day, the second highest figure to date. Of these, 51.7% occurred in public space.
