Weapons ban zones in NRW: Security for travelers at train stations

the police union calls for weapons -free train stations - News

The police union (GdP) has spoken out for the introduction of weapons -free train stations in order to increase the safety of travelers. The claim comes in view of the existing uncertainties and the different regulations in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), where travelers often have to pay attention to signs in order to recognize whether they are in an weapon ban.

Currently there are temporary weapon ban zones at certain train stations during major events such as carnival, New Year's Eve or Christmas markets. These regulations apply, for example, in cities such as Aachen, Duisburg and Dortmund, where a weapon ban was imposed at almost 30 train stations in the past year alone. This procedure is intended to help avoid dangerous situations in human collections.

introduction of permanent prohibitions on weapons

In addition, some cities such as Bonn, Bielefeld, Hamm and Münster are creating the creation of permanent weapon ban zones around their train stations. The police chief of Bonn has announced that such a zone in his city should come into force in the summer of 2025. The efforts to create permanent prohibitions on weapons are a reaction to the intensified security conditions that were necessary after the knife attack in Solingen in the summer of 2024 as a result of changes in the law.

These legal changes mean that police officers have the right to control people in the weapons ban zones without concrete suspicion. This increases the safety precautions and is intended to prevent potential activity in public transport and especially at train stations. The GDP emphasizes the need for such measures to improve the feeling of security of rail users and enable them to travel carefree.

The discussion about prohibition of weapons and public security is not new. In many European countries there are already comparable provisions that require weapons freedom in public transport and at train stations. This illustrates the growing importance of security measures in the area of ​​public transport, which is becoming increasingly urgent in the face of increasing violence and threats.