Last year's New Year's Eve had already been described by the officers on duty in Bonn as particularly calm, now the first impression was that there were again fewer serious incidents.

In the meantime, the city of Bonn and the police have published initial figures. In the period from 6 p.m. on 31 December 2021 to 6 a.m. on 1 January 2022, the operations control centre at police headquarters received 185 emergency calls. By comparison, in 2020 there were 175 emergency calls in the comparable period. While last year, the police reported 65 violations of the Corona Protection Ordinance, there were initially no reports so far this year. There was only one somewhat larger operation during the break-up of a dance party in the Brückenforum, during which the officers supported the public order office.

In addition to disputes and disturbances of the peace, eleven cases of bodily harm and nine cases of damage to property were reported at the start of 2022. A total of twelve people were ordered to leave the area, and four people had to spend the night in police custody to prevent them committing offences. In 2020, the officers counted eight assault offences, four cases of damage to property and around 40 disturbances of the peace. A total of 25 people were ordered to leave the area in the previous year.

The police had expected a quiet New Year's Eve in view of the far-reaching contact bans. At neuralgic points in public space, such as Bertha-von-Suttner-Platz, the banks of the Rhine or the Hofgartenwiese, there was a ban on pubic gathering.

However, there were still fires. Just forty minutes into the new year, the police and fire brigade were alerted to a fire in Lengsdorf. When the fire brigade arrived, a trampoline in the garden of a detached house on the street In den Weingärten was on fire.

The fire brigade was able to extinguish the fire quickly and there was no damage to the house. According to the police, the fire may have been caused by a firework found in the immediate vicinity of the playground equipment.

The Bonn fire brigade was also on duty in Plittersdorf on Friday evening. At around 9.30 pm, the fire brigade was called to a cellar fire with heavy smoke. The fire brigade quickly extinguished the fire in the evening and ventilated the flats. The residents had already left the house before the fire brigade arrived. All residents were able to return to their flats the same evening.

In addition to these incidents, the Bonn fire brigade registered seven other fire incidents, two of which were caused by fire alarm systems that had gone off. The incidents were minor fires, including burning rubbish bins.

Meanwhile, a burning rubbish bin in Winzerstraße in Dottendorf at around 5 am triggered a fire brigade operation that lasted about an hour. The extreme heat damaged several cars parked nearby. Due to the heavy smoke, the fire brigade also checked the rented flats above the scene of the fire.

The emergency services were called to a total of 56 emergencies. The fire brigade and ambulance service said that the number of incidents was low for New Year's Eve and that there were no particularly serious incidents.

The security service of the Gabi police station was on duty with twelve people. They noticed three ill-behaved youths aiming firecrackers at the Old Customs House and throwing them at passers-by. Charges were filed against the group for the offence; each of the three will now face a fine of up to 500 euros.

On the road on a bike with blood alcohol level of 1.9 per mille

At the turn of the year, the Bonn police again carried out increased alcohol and drug checks on the roads in Bonn and the region. There were four cases of drivers now answering charges of drink-driving.

At around 1:20 a.m., a patrol car of the Bonn police traffic service noticed a green BMW 3-series driving on the Hochstadenring at what seemed to be excessive speed. When the 32-year-old driver was checked, it quickly became clear that the woman was under the influence of alcohol, and a breathalyser test soon revealed a blood alcohol level of 1.2 per mille. She was taken to the police station in the city centre, a doctor took a blood sample from, her driving licence was confiscated, and she is facing preliminary investigation.

At around 4 a.m., a 25-year-old woman fell off her bicycle on the Kennedy Bridge - police officers who were carrying out alcohol controls at the back of the bridge forum saw her. They asked the slightly injured woman to take an alcohol test, which showed a blood alcohol level of around 1.9 per mille.

The reported figures are not yet final. The police are cautious and say that the figures presented in this preliminary report may still change because they may still receive further reports or that offenses may be classified differently during investigations.

(Orig. text: Anja Wollschlaeger and Tamara Wegbahn / Translation: Jean Lennox)