Violent crime on the streets of Hamburg has reached unprecedented levels according to the latest figures from the state’s interior ministry.
In the first half of 2023, there were 193 reported stabbings across the city, up 23.7 percent from the 156 reported in the same period of 2022.
The number of shootings also soared, up 30.9 percent from 55 to 72 from January to the end of June.
Hamburg-Mitte was the borough with the most violent crime, recording 27 shootings and 85 stabbings in just six months. Harburg was second with 15 shootings and 28 stabbings, while Wandsbek recorded 24 stabbings and Nord 11 shootings.
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Dennis Thering, the opposition CDU’s parliamentary leader who requested the data from the government, described the figures as “alarming” and called on SPD Interior Senator Andy Grote to “finally act to stop such Wild West excesses” in the region.
“We need more no-weapons zones, more video surveillance, and organized crime must be fought more intensively,” he added.
Some of the incidents this year have made national headlines. Remix News previously reported on the high-profile mass shooting inside a church in Hamburg’s Groß Borstel district back in March, which killed seven people and injured 17 others.
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Other incidents in the German port city saw two men die in a stabbing attack in Harburg and another two men shot dead in the Tonndorf district back in January when more than 20 bullets were fired at their moving vehicle.
According to data published last month by Statista, Hamburg is the region ranked third-highest in Germany for crime, with 11,394 crimes recorded per 100,000 people. Only Berlin (14,135) and Bremen (11,784) rank higher than the city, although all are significantly higher than the 6,762 German average.
