Northwest Lower Saxony sees crime drop but faces knife and digital threats in 2025
Crime figures for northwest Lower Saxony, including Osnabrück, show a slight decline in 2025. Overall offenses dropped by 2% to 81,539 cases, continuing a long-term downward trend. Yet some areas, such as knife-related threats and digital crimes involving youth, remain a concern for authorities.
The total number of recorded crimes in the region fell to 81,539 last year, down from 83,180 in 2024. This marks a 2% reduction and reflects a broader decline over two decades—crime has dropped by 23,000 cases since 2005. Despite this progress, certain offenses remain stubbornly high.
Violent crime stayed a key focus, with 14,568 incidents reported in 2025. Nearly 10,000 of these involved bodily harm, while knife-related offenses climbed to 438 cases, mostly threats rather than physical attacks. Domestic violence figures held steady at 4,893, including two alleged homicides that deeply affected the Osnabrück area. Crimes by young people saw mixed trends. The total number of offenses by children and adolescents dipped slightly to 5,868. However, the number of suspects under 14 rose, while those aged 14 to 18 declined. Digital crimes also posed challenges, particularly the spread of pornographic content via messaging apps and social media, with 867 cases logged in 2025.
The region's overall security situation remains stable, with crime rates continuing to fall. But persistent issues like domestic violence, knife threats, and youth-related digital offenses highlight areas needing attention. Authorities have not released specific cybercrime data for Osnabrück compared to other major cities in Lower Saxony.
