Stuttgart (dpa / lsw) – Anyone who carries a knife more than four centimeters long in certain inner-city areas in Stuttgart on weekends must expect a fine. The state capital is the first municipality in the southwest to introduce a knife-free zone. The Stuttgart municipal council voted for this on Thursday. Mayor Frank Nopper (CDU) was able to win over the parliamentary groups of the CDU, Greens, Free Voters and AfD for his proposal to temporarily ban knives with blades longer than four centimeters in the city ring road including the city garden. 36 councilors voted for the zone, 18 against.
Nopper had previously put forward ten arguments in favor of a ban zone, including the good experiences other major German cities have had with it. In addition, the number of knife crimes – in the inner city area and especially on weekend nights – has increased significantly.
The weapons ban zone also has a preventive effect in view of the impending high fines. No one has to take knives into the city for self-defense.
Nopper’s goal: “To improve public safety and the subjective sense of security of people in Stuttgart.” But he also makes it clear: “We will not be able to prevent all stabbings, but we want to noticeably reduce their number.”
Opponents accused the CDU of propaganda in order to serve their conservative clientele. Criticism also comes from the FDP, SPD and the Left Alliance for interference with fundamental rights. In view of the declining number of knife crimes in Stuttgart, many city councilors do not find the measure proportionate. The ban, initially limited to two years, is to be enforced by the police and municipal security service on the nights from Friday to Saturday and from Saturday to Sunday. On days before public holidays, the ban also applies from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m.
