Cologne/Düsseldorf (dpa/lnw) – After the start of the new carnival session, the police in the Rhineland took stock. Tens of thousands celebrated exuberantly in the strongholds of Cologne and Düsseldorf. While in Düsseldorf the traditional Hoppeditzer Wache in front of the town hall was lively but consistently peaceful, in Cologne the rush of the masses triggered the closure of a train station. The police also reported a number of crimes.
So there was on 11.11. a total of 335 missions in the Cologne city area, around 80 more than in the previous year. Officers issued 75 evictions and arrested 28 drunk or rowdy people.
145 crimes were recorded in the cathedral city, 51 of which involved bodily harm. During resistance activities, seven police officers were injured, three were then no longer able to work.
On Saturday night, a 27-year-old from Bonn was the victim of a knife attack. Police officers squeezed the man who was stabbed until the arrival of the rescue workers from a severely bleeding cut on the neck. Then the young man was taken to a hospital. A little later, emergency services arrested a 24-year-old homeless suspect. A first alcohol test on him showed a value of two per thousand. The police also seized drugs. The man was due to appear before a magistrate on Saturday.
In eight cases, the police in Cologne took up investigations into sexual offenses, in one case a rape was reported. The police also punished numerous violations of drivers who were caught driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
In the evening, officials caught two suspected pickpockets known to the police. They had repeatedly danced to revelers and stolen their cell phones. The two suspects, aged 18 and 23, should also be brought before a magistrate.
In Düsseldorf, a police spokesman reported in a preliminary balance of a peaceful carnival activity without any abnormalities. Initially, there were no indications of outstanding criminal offenses or offences. After the long Corona break, people would have just celebrated happily.
