Combating criminal activity Strong police presence at Christmas market

Bonn · Officials say a strong police presence and prevention are the tactics they are using to combat criminal activity at the Bonn Christmas market. The Bonn police chief says there are no concrete threats.

Despite the crowds, the atmosphere was peaceful and relaxed. This is how Christina Scholle of the city police station referred to as “Gabi” describes the opening day of the Bonn Christmas Market last Friday. To ensure that it stays like that, Bonn police have once again increased their presence at peak times at the Christmas market. Six uniformed police officers and officers in civilian clothing will be on the lookout for any criminal activity.

On Tuesday afternoon while explaining the security concept for this years Christmas market, police chief Ursula Brohl-Sowa said there were no concrete threats. Machine guns would not be used this year in patrolling the market. However, concrete bollards, barriers and vehicles on the access roads are intended to block the way for potential terrorists.

Organizer Harald Borchert, deputy head of Bonn citizen services, sent a signal of reassurance, saying people did not need to be afraid at the Christmas market, that there was a good feeling. Even thieves were not much in action in the first three days of the market. Only one case of pickpocketing was reported, and liquor was stolen from a mulled wine stall after it had closed.

Theft has gone down significantly

Already in the past years, the prevention work of police and the attentiveness of the visitors, contributed to a clear reduction in crimes at the Christmas market. In 2015, there were 74 cases of pickpocketing, and this went down to only 24 cases in 2017. No individual figures are available for the markets in Bad Godesberg and Duisdorf, according to press spokesman Michael Beyer, but the incidences there had also strongly decreased.

In 2017, police officers in uniform and in civilian clothes checked a total of 170 people and banned 53 people from the market - mainly well-known pickpockets, according to Beyer. Three people were apprehended because arrest warrants had been issued against them. This year, police will again distribute alarm bells for visitors to put in their hand bags.

Joint operations with state police are also planned. In the first couple weekends, police trainees will be on trains between Bonn and Cologne, on the lookout for thieves. Pickpockets are mainly at work at the train stations, with Cologne Central Train Station being the main focus for police.

(Orig. text: Martin Wein / Translation: ck)

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