Weapons ban zone in Vienna-Favoriten: 62 percent fewer crimes

From March 30th to May 13th there was a reduction of 62 percent compared to the same period last year, explained representatives of the state police department together with Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) during a media-public focus campaign at Reumannplatz.

There were decreases in, among other things, burglaries, assaults, theft, reports of drug-related offenses and damage to property. Karner emphasized that the recently founded Youth Crime Task Force (EJK) was now taking place almost every day in Favoriten. In the course of 74 grid squares so far, almost 1,000 people have been checked and 190 reports have been filed. In addition, eleven weapons were seized within the prohibited zone. The majority of them were knives, it was said.

For the whole of Vienna, the police spoke of 8,700 checks and 940 reports so far. Around 14,000 identity checks and more than 2,000 reports were carried out across Austria.

“It is consistently cleaned up”

Karner explained that the weapons ban zone in Favoriten was having an effect. They want to continue the previous strategy. “We are continuing to consistently clean up the situation when it comes to putting stabbers out of circulation and putting a stop to juvenile crime,” said Karner. Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) made similar comments on Wednesday at Reumannplatz. The goal remains, no matter “where escalation points arise, to combat them in advance,” said Nehammer.

The head of the investigative service of the State Criminal Police Office (LKA), Gerhard Winkler, gave a provisionally positive conclusion to the weapons ban on Wednesday. Typical core crimes such as intentional grievous bodily harm and aggravated robbery have declined dramatically. “We didn’t have a single case of this in April,” Winkler told the APA. He believes an extension of the weapons ban zone is conceivable, but also pointed out that a decision has not yet been made.

120 arrests in key operation

With regard to the EJK’s main activities, Winkler spoke of 120 arrests throughout Vienna. The majority of these concerned drug-related offenses, alien law offenses and administrative offenses.

A weapons ban zone has been in effect in Favoriten since March 30, 2024. The area extends above Reumannplatz to the beginning of Antonsplatz and in the other direction over Keplerplatz and Columbusplatz to the main train station. The zone is bordered to the west by Laxenburger Straße and to the east by Sonnwendgasse and Herndlgasse.

Karner recently campaigned for a general ban on weapons in public spaces. The corresponding draft for a law banning the carrying of knives is currently being negotiated between the coalition partners.