Germany records 46,357 cases of violence against police in 2024

Incidents of violence directed at German police officers rose by 0.3% on the year in 2024 to 46,367 cases, the Interior Ministry in Berlin reported on Monday in response to a question from dpa.

Around 87% of the incidents involved resistance to police officers or deliberate attacks, the ministry said. The statistics on violence include threats, obstruction and deliberate injury.

In 2024, 106,875 police officers were subjected to an act of violence, a rise of 67.2% compared with 2015. More than one officer could be attacked in a single incident.

"The figures make clear a continuing high burden for police in daily deployment," the ministry said.

Some 83.1% of people suspected of violence against officers were male, and 34.9% of suspects investigated were not in possession of a German passport, according to the ministry.

"Violence against the police, the fire services and the emergency services has not been an exception for a long time but has become an everyday experience for many," Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said.

"If tens of thousands of attacks are counted every year, this shows that respect and consideration are increasingly being lost," Dobrindt added.

The services needed better protection, with quicker action and clear consequences for perpetrators, he said. He outlined plans in combination with the Justice Ministry to introduce legislation to increase punishments, accelerate proceedings and improve security for officers.

Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig said: "Attacks on police officers and on rescue and emergency officers have reached a shocking level over recent years," in remarks to the Funke Media Group.

She noted unacceptable attacks on New Year's Eve every year and said criminal law should be used to counter this. "We want to tighten criminal law for this reason," she said.