Berlin leads a sad vandalism ranking: almost 2,000 crimes!

Berlin leads a sad vandalism ranking: almost 2,000 crimes!

The fight against vandalism on railway facilities remains a constant challenge for Deutsche Bahn. While the numbers have decreased slightly compared to previous years, Berlin continued to take the sad lead in graffiti and other unauthorized changes to the appearance of trains and stations. Radio Cologne reports that a total of 1,983 offenses were registered in Berlin from January to October 2023, which represents an increase of around 100 offenses compared to the previous year.

But it's not just the capital that suffers from the graffiti. In Munich, 872 incidents were documented by October, while 515 offenses were reported in Hamburg and 194 in Cologne. Even if these numbers seem worrying at first glance, the statistics show a general decline: 17,829 crimes were recorded nationwide, around 1,200 fewer than in the same period last year. The FAZ emphasizes that train stations in particular are often the target of vandals.

Damage and dangers

Deutsche Bahn is keeping a close eye on the financial impact of the vandalism. In 2022, graffiti caused damage amounting to 12.1 million euros. A significant portion of this damage occurred on regional and S-Bahn trains in Berlin and Brandenburg. Deutschlandfunk reports that this represents a slight decrease compared to the previous year, which can be attributed to more effective protection measures and controls.

A total of 18,812 suspects were registered with the Federal Police this year, of which the overwhelming majority, 17,811 people, remain unidentified. The perpetrators are often caught in the act - Deutsche Bahn employs more than 2,700 people every year. A quarter of these arrests concern sprayers who not only commit a criminal offense but also put their lives in danger when, for example, they work under moving trains or come into contact with electrified railway systems.

Technological developments

In order to counteract vandalism, Deutsche Bahn has now also brought modern technology into play. Robots with cameras and artificial intelligence are available to monitor parked trains and immediately detect unauthorized changes. Despite these measures, the threat of graffiti remains a serious problem to which both the railways and the responsible authorities will have to respond even more intensively in the future.

Although the situation has improved somewhat overall, the topic remains important for traffic safety and society's perception of rail as a modern means of transport. One thing is certain: a good knack for dealing with vandalism is required in order to successfully implement the objectives in the fight against graffiti in the future.