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Germany: police annual statistics (1)

01 January 1991

Germany: police annual statistics
artdoc October=1991

The German police produced their annual statistics on 1990. Some
of the more interesting figures are given below, with the figures
for 1989 in brackets.
The number of reported political explosives and firebomb
attacks in 1990 was 139 (146). The number of incidents
investigated in relation to state security was 10,335 (13,043).
Of these, 3184 (4042) concerned endangering the democratic state
order, 106 (280) concerned investigations under clause 129a,
forming a terrorist organization. Unlawful entry, which in this
context means squatting, was up to 142 (96), a rise due to the
many squats in former Eastern Berlin. "Landfriedensbruch",
meaning breaking the peace of the land, occurred 433 (580) times,
and violating the public demonstration law 474 (369) times: these
figures point at the reduced number of demonstrations in Germany.
The rest of the state security offences are in the main ones like
resisting police officers, public threatening to commit crimes,
stirring up a crowd, insulting a police officer, inflicting
bodily harm, damaging property, etc. These figures indicate that
among the Schengen countries there is a difference of opinion on
what should be considered a crime against state security. The
number of people that died in relation to the abuse of narcotics
in Germany in 1990 was 1478, (1989: 991, 1988: 670). This is
generally seen as an indication that the German strategy of not
making any distinction between soft and hard drugs, and
threatening drug abuse as a crime problem instead of a serious
public health issue, is not working.
In response to a parliamentary question regarding German GSG
9 counterterrorist police providing training to Turkish
nationals, the Minister of State of the Ministry of the Interior,
Mr Lintner, admitted recently that from 1981 to 1986 some 18
Turkish police specialists attended advanced courses, each
lasting several months, in counterterrorist tactics and
techniques.

Statewatch no 4 September/October 1991