Frankfurt am Main (dpa / lhe) - The police have spoken out in favor of a gun ban zone in an area of Frankfurt's train station district. Irritant sprayers and weapon-like pointed or sharp-edged objects, such as knives, should be banned, police said on Wednesday. These could be used as a striking, stabbing or thrown weapon. A ban on glass bottles is not planned because too many exceptions would have to be made for retail and gastronomy and such a ban would therefore not be effective.
The no-arms zone was to be bounded by Mainzer Landstrasse to the north, Gutleutstrasse to the south, Weserstrasse to the east, and west through the Hauptbahnhof. According to the police, the number of gun crimes in this area of the station district has increased significantly from 102 in 2019 to 239 in 2021. The majority of these crimes were committed in 2021 with knives (102) or irritant sprayers (109). The zone should also apply from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.
Frankfurt's chief of police, Stefan Müller, is convinced that a gun ban zone will strengthen security in the city. "At a late hour and under the influence of alcohol, everything that is carried is often used," said Müller. A particularly common tool are knives. "So the sooner we secure weapons, the better, that's direct victim protection."
