The 2024 annual report of the German Federal Police paints a worrying picture regarding security, especially in train stations and rail transport. Despite the fact that overall crime has decreased, the crimes that generate the most public alarm—violent and sexual—have increased significantly, confirming an upward trend that began in recent years.

According to the report, in 2024, 27,160 violent crimes were recorded at stations and on trains, an increase of 6% compared to the previous year and 51% compared to 2019. This increase is not limited to large cities, but also affects medium-sized, small, and even rural stations, indicating a territorial expansion of the problem. At the same time, sexual crimes such as exhibitionism, sexual harassment, assaults, and rapes increased by 19.2%, a particularly relevant figure due to its direct impact on the perception of insecurity, especially among women and vulnerable groups.

Overall, the Federal Police recorded 381,894 crimes at stations and trains, a figure that represents a global decrease of 10.1% compared to 2023. This apparent contradiction is explained because the reduction mainly affects administrative offences, especially those related to the Residence Law, while serious crimes continue to grow. This is emphasised by Manuel Ostermann, Vice President of the Federal Police Union, who warns that where it really matters—violence, sexual offences, and weapons—the situation is worsening.

Nationally, the trend is repeated: violent crimes have increased by 6.6% and sexual offences by 13% across Germany. It is important to keep in mind that these data only capture reported crimes and do not provide information on judicial proceedings or convictions, which limits the complete interpretation of the phenomenon.

Regarding the causes, the report and the union statements point to various structural factors. On the one hand, there is an increase in social marginalisation, with people increasingly neglected due to the lack of social infrastructure such as social services, educators, and teachers. This context fosters exclusion, domestic violence, and the consumption of alcohol and drugs, elements that frequently appear in the profile of aggressors.

The data confirms that 79% of the perpetrators are men, and that almost half (49%) were under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the offence. Moreover, 53% did not have German nationality, a fact that has fuelled the political and social debate on immigration and security. Ostermann attributes part of the problem to immigration from the main asylum countries, although this approach is controversial and does not always take into account socioeconomic factors, integration, or life context.

Violence affects not only citizens but also police forces. In 2024, 2,967 assaults against federal police officers were recorded, the second highest figure since records began (2001). In total, 804 agents were injured, mostly men. Assaults include punches, kicks, spitting, bites, and blows with objects, and in one out of every eight cases, objects were used as improvised weapons, such as bottles or stones.

In light of this situation, the Federal Police and Deutsche Bahn have reinforced security measures with increased police presence, weapon-free zones, preventive controls, and a system of over 11,000 surveillance cameras. Despite this, police unions demand a greater commitment from the railway company, with more private security personnel, better-lit, cleaner, and modernised stations, and faster investment in infrastructure.

Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) has described attacks on police officers as an attack on society as a whole, while Ostermann warns that much has been lost in the last ten years and that Germany faces dark years in terms of security if there is no real improvement in technology, legal framework, human resources, and cooperation between federal and state governments.

In conclusion, the report conveys a clear message: despite the reduction in global crime, safety is deteriorating precisely in the most sensitive areas. Train stations, key spaces for mobility and coexistence, have become critical points that demand comprehensive responses, combining social prevention, investment in security, institutional coordination, and long-term policies that go beyond reactive measures.

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