German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser wants to further restrict the carrying of knives in public, to combat a perceived rise in knife crime. The opposition has criticized the plan as impractical.
The German government has promised tougher knife laws after the police reported a rise in the number of stabbings, especially near train stations — though the statistics remain controversial.
Interior Minister Nancy Faeser has called for the law to be changed so that only blades of 6 centimeters (2.36 inches) would be allowed to be carried in public, rather than the current 12 centimeters. An exception would be made for household knives in their original packaging. Switchblades would be banned altogether.
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The government pronouncement came after police statistics recorded a 5.6% year-on-year rise in cases of serious bodily harm involving a knife, with 8,951 incidents in 2023. The federal police, which is responsible for safety at Germany’s airports and major railway stations, also reported a significant increase in knife attacks in and around stations, with 430 in the first six months of this year.
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This is a futile attempt to establish safety, and it is done so that it can be claimed that something has been done.
If some person has the intention to do any harm to others, this person would not be stopped by any restriction to carry any weapon.
The real issues lay much deeper: A growing number of refugees and asylum seekers that want to work, but are prohibited to do so, but at the same time these are competing in an already tight housing market. Raising costs of living, growing inequality, growing envy and a part of the population which is on the brink of shiftig into a nazi movement, with a growing resentment to foreign people. It takes more than putting up a sign that says that weapons are forbidden beyond this point to solve these problems.
Also, in Germany there is no reason ever to walk around with waepons. Compared to other parts of the world it is pretty safe here.
Putting up a sign that states that weapon are forbidden would have the same impact as putting up a sign that forbids wild fires in the forest or flooding near a body of water.
Yeah. You ban knives, people will switch to axes, machetes, bats, pipes, chains, brass knuckles, and so on. I’ve been saying this for a long time about the US as well. You can ban guns in the US and you’ll just end up with knife crime like this. You need to actually address the root causes of socioeconomic inequality that actually drives crime (and lack of mental health care too).
I think I’d take knife crime over mass shootings.
I don’t understand. No law prevents anyone from doing what’s forbidden. Are you saying all laws are futile? Otherwise what is different with this law that makes it futile?
Also, we usually can do many things at once or in succession. We can raise prices on sugary food, start programs to inform the public about the impact sugar has on health, make school lunches more healthy etc. Would you complain that it is futile raising prices if it was the first thing proposed or would you say “Good, let’s do this and also the other things.”?
Are you saying all laws are futile? Otherwise what is different with this law that makes it futile?
I do not say that all laws are futile. The difference with this particular measurement is that it is odd to me, that a no-weapon zone is being established, as it is quite unusual that Germans carry around weapons in general. At least not where I live. People carrying around weapons of any kind is just not a thing here.
There are other laws, speed restrictions for instance. I get that there is a necessity to enforce such thing, as people have cars and tend to drive faster than they should. Speeding with a car is more common than carrying a weapon. That’s why this law makes sense, as it adresses the issue right there. Speeding doesn’t have an underlying issue that causes drivers to speed.
The thing what makes it futile in my opinion is that a restriction in carrying weapons does not solve the underlying issues (the root causes of socio-economic inequality, among others) that probably lead to harming others with knives. It’s just treating the symptoms, not the root cause.
I’ve never witnessed someone pouring chemicals into a river. I guess that means no laws are needed in this regard ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
The problem with this specific law is that it isn’t practically enforceable. You’d need to regularly search people entering this zone, which we will certainly not do.
Law’s only matter if you can expect them to be enforced. Raising prices is easily enforced (because it would be done via taxes which are checked for correctness already).
in denmark that law worked wonders and was later expanded so you are not allowed to have a screw driver on you if you are not needing it for some work. so at party disctricts or railstations no one can have stuff that can be used for stabbing.
whats the worst this law can do? a few less assholes with weapons.
The question is: why would anyone carry a knife in the first place? I can’t think of any reason. Personally, such law wouldn’t have any impact on me, because I don’t carry a knife with me. I can see the intention with such law, and it probably might help to percieve a more secure enviroment.
If someone wanted to do some stabbing inside a party district, such law wouldn’t stop them - unless one has to pass through a security checkpoint (which to my knowledge are not a thing).
I’ve carried a knife in my pocket everyday for the past 35 years or so. It’s a useful tool both for actual work and mundane tasks like opening boxes/etc.
A few weeks ago I was hiking near a lake and found a bird entangled in fishing line. It would’ve been very difficult to free it without some type of blade. Hell, it took almost 15 minutes even with the knife because it was so wrapped up and distressed.
Also, butterfly knives are for carrying around in your pocket and then taking out to flip around in case you think it might impress someone.
Fair enough, I didn’t think of that. What you described is the intended use for pocket knives, MacGyver style.
What I thought of when writing my comment were kind of hunting knives. No one needs that inside an urban environment.
Ah yeah, that makes sense. There’s a big difference between a 7cm folding pocket knife and a 20cm fixed blade rambo-esque hunting knife… And I can’t think of any reason to carry the latter around in a city : )
Now I’m picturing you in a reversed version of the famous Crocodile Dundee scene with him brandishing his huge knife and you going “that’s not a tool. THIS is a tool!” as you get out your pocket knife 😁
I can imagine some situations. I was at a party when we were cooking and the knives were shit. Went home and brought back over an 8 inch chef’s knife.
I did not have the original packaging to carry it. My cardboard and tape sheath would not have met the letter of this law
This would be the use case, where you would break the law, when entering such restriction zone. Unless, of course, your skin tone has the right shade, as police unfortunately does things like racial profiling. If pale, you were on your way to a cooking party - if darker-skinned, you luckily were caught in the act!
Unfortunately, it probably would go like that. The snippet above just said “in public” so I assumed that would include just down the street
nah. dont think so. if groups of people meet it can get heated and the less likely someone has a knife or screwdriver the better. sure, any time any one can commit any crime with whatever. but lowering the chances of getting stabbed is always a good idea.
Japan has very similar laws under the sword and firearms act that prevents most knives and some other “dangerous” objects from being carried without cause and even then there are typically rules about how it must be transported/stored when in public (such as the train). It seems to mostly work here. Usually, the ones who do attack others are those whom were failed by the healthcare system here (specifically, the way Japan (often fails) to deal with mental health issues).
Germany, cutting down on knife crime.
The only thing that will stop knife crime is more good people with knives!
/s
Fucking idiot Faeser again. She’s a walking faux pa, a walking traffic accident. She does so much shit every day, that just reading her name makes me puke a little. If her bullshit wouldn’t have so big consequence one could just ignore this dumb cow. The day she gets kicked out of every political position I’ll party.
And yes I’m aware of what I said is rude and I look like an idiot too, but she is one of the few except where I feel no holding back.
What else has she done? Like, greatest hits?
“ye got a loicense for that carving knife?”
Ey, hasch du au a Lizens für des Messerle?
Noi, aber n anerkannda Grund fürs mitnämma.
Mit a baar Fädra am Huat isch des Brauchtumspfläg oder so.** Aber i bin koin Rechtsverdreher.
Translation of Swabian-German dialect:
In my opinion I have a legal reason for carrying a knife if it fits my traditional attire. But IANAL. /s
Haja wenn’s so isch will I di ned uffhalde
Cut it out
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https://www.dw.com/en/germany-getting-tough-on-knife-crime/a-69963224
Weird, we essentially have no knife restrictions here at all and
https://kbnd.com/kbnd-news/regional-news/504157
https://katu.com/news/local/victim-in-portland-kidnapping-says-man-had-machete-in-car
https://www.yahoo.com/news/heavy-police-presence-portland-montavilla-021034310.html
Oh.
The virtue of a knife law is that if you’re caught with it, you’re subjected to it. People carry them around 364 days or the year without problem, if the one time you stabbed a guy that’s the issue. So a law making it harder the rest of the time seems wise, as it would reduce the chances
Eu! Du ju habe a leucence fur dat neuf mait!?
