A Rising Threat: The Alarming Increase in Assaults on Railway Workers
Increase in Railway Worker Assaults - EVG Advocates for Enhanced Law Enforcement Security
An alarming trend has emerged: railway workers are facing an escalating number of threats and attacks, causing a significant decline in employee safety. The German railway union EVG is demanding enhanced federal police presence in trains to protect their workers.
"It's a shameful statistic," says EVG chairman Martin Burkert, speaking to the German editorial network. "The federal police need to step up and be visible in long-distance train traffic," he asserts. Burkert also urges for expediting the prosecution of assaults on railway workers, such as the establishment of specialized departments within public prosecutor's offices. Moreover, he reiterates EVG's long-standing demand for two train attendants in local traffic, urging the federal states to provide the necessary financial resources.
Recently disclosed figures from the Federal Ministry of the Interior, in response to a query from the Left party in the Bundestag, reveal a worrying trend. Crimes like bodily harm, grievous bodily harm, and threats against Deutsche Bahn employees increased from 2799 in 2022 to 3151 in 2024. In the first four months of 2024 alone, 1244 such incidents were reported. If this trend persists, the total could reach 3732 attacks by the end of the year.
Left party MP Dietmar Bartsch, who initiated the query, expressed concern to RND. "This disturbing pattern suggests that more and more people view railway workers and police as targets for aggression. This careless attitude is unacceptable and paints a dismal picture of our nation," he stated. Federal Minister of the Interior Alexander Dobrindt should present a strategy to curb this rise in crime before the summer break, according to Bartsch.
In 2024, EVG conducted a survey regarding the safety perceptions of railway workers. Approximately one-third of the respondents felt unsafe at work. Over two-thirds reported a significant deterioration in safety over the past five years. Eight out of ten workers had experienced verbal or physical attacks, with two-thirds of these incidents occurring within the last twelve months.
Although specific data about the rise in attacks on railway workers in Germany isn't available, there is a broader issue of violence against officials and a surge in knife crimes in Germany, which could indirectly affect railway safety. To combat this, German police are advocating for increased surveillance, including facial recognition technology, and the mobilization of more resources to deploy modern security technologies effectively.
Potential measures to enhance railway worker safety could include installing additional surveillance cameras, especially in high-risk areas like major stations, regular police or security patrols, and offering training and support to railway workers to help them handle such situations. Despite the lacking details in the search results, EVG and the federal police are urged to propose concrete measures to secure a safer working environment for railway workers.
- EVG
- Federal Police
- Deutsche Bahn
References:[1] General rise in violence against railway employees in other countries[2] Increase in knife crime in Germany[3] Hamburg Central Station stabbing incident[4] Call for increased video surveillance and more police personnel[5] Need for relief from non-core tasks for police personnel
"The German railway union EVG and the Federal Police are urged to propose concrete measures from the general-news and crime-and-justice sectors, following the rising trend of assaults on railway workers. Such measures could potentially include installing surveillance cameras, increasing police or security patrols, and providing training for railway workers, much like the discussions in light of the increasing knife crimes and violence against officials in the community, most recently evidenced by the Hamburg Central Station stabbing incident."
"As the number of assaults on Deutsche Bahn workers continues to intensify, the political arena is compelled to address this issue urgently, with left party MP Dietmar Bartsch calling upon Federal Minister of the Interior Alexander Dobrindt to present a strategy to curb this rise in crime before the summer break. This aligns with EVG's long-standing demand for a higher presence of federal police in long-distance train traffic and specialized departments within public prosecutor's offices to expedite the prosecution of assaults."
