Interactive tool maps recent stabbings as party challenges official crime reporting and pushes safety into election debate.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Germany’s Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) has introduced a digital platform designed to track knife-related incidents across Berlin, placing renewed attention on violent crime trends as part of its political campaign strategy.
The online tool, referred to as a knife app, compiles police-reported incidents from the past month and presents them through an interactive map. Users can view the locations of reported attacks, examine injury counts, and compare the data with official police crime statistics.
AfD officials said the initiative aims to provide a clearer picture of public safety conditions. Party leader Kristin Brinker criticized Berlin’s governing coalition of CDU and SPD, stating that authorities have not offered sufficient transparency regarding violent crime. Thorsten Weiß, the party’s domestic policy spokesman, said the tool is intended to draw attention to potential gaps between publicly reported incidents and official datasets. He also called for additional disclosure from city officials, including information about suspects’ nationalities.
Recent police figures indicate that Berlin recorded 3,599 knife-related incidents in 2025, reflecting a 5.5% increase compared to the prior year. That total averages roughly ten incidents per day. Approximately half of the cases involved threats without physical injury. Law enforcement identified 1,906 suspects, with 86% male and 56% classified as non-German nationals. About one-third of those identified were younger than 21.
City authorities have implemented designated weapon-restriction zones in several areas identified as higher risk, including Görlitzer Park, Kottbusser Tor in Kreuzberg, and Leopoldplatz in Wedding. CDU domestic policy spokesman Burkhard Dregger said knife-related offenses in these zones have declined by as much as 45%. He suggested that expanding or rotating such restrictions to additional locations could further reduce incidents.
Knife-related violence has also been reported outside the capital. In the western German city of Solingen, two men, ages 48 and 52, sustained serious injuries during a stabbing in the city center. Authorities arrested a 46-year-old Turkish national at the scene.
Preliminary information indicates the incident may have followed a dispute between individuals who were previously acquainted, though investigators have not confirmed the sequence of events. A third individual who attempted to intervene was also injured. Emergency responders secured the area while police collected witness statements as part of the ongoing investigation.