On May 20, 2025, a local inspection with Interior Minister Gerhard Karner took place on May 20, 2025 for the focus campaign of the city police command (SPK) Linz.
The focus of the working group of youth crime in life is in urban rooms. A focus campaign to combat youth crime was therefore started in Linz. 18 police officers were deployed – including six civil servants from the Linz City Police Command, a group of the standby with another six forces, four police officers in the youth crime group and two service dog handlers with police dogs.
Jugend crime mission group
In March 2024, the youth crime group was set up in the Federal Criminal Police Office. It coordinates main control measures across Austria. From March to December 2024, 55,500 people were checked, 7,400 ads were reimbursed and around 900 arrests were issued.
“The consistent focus controls have had an impact. In Upper Austria, the numbers are currently going back to the trend. I would like to thank all police officers who take care of the security in Austria and, especially in focus campaigns,” emphasized Interior Minister Gerhard Karner.
Security police conferences and regular instruction
Protecting children, accompanying adolescents at an early stage and consistently folding off criminals, the central approach in the fight against youth crime should remain.
In addition to immediate police measures, structural changes are relyed on. Legal adjustments have been anchored in the government agreement, for example the introduction of security police case conferences and binding regular instruction by the police. At the same time, family reunification with regard to security -related developments was restricted. The aim is to recognize potential hazards for peaceful coexistence at an early stage and to counteract preventively.
Background of the youth crime group group
Youth crime in Austria has increased significantly in recent years. In the period between 2020 and 2024, the advertisements with suspects aged ten to 14 years show almost a doubling – from 6,971 to 12,895 cases. Nationwide, an increase of the suspects under 18 to 2024 to 2024 was recorded by 8.3 percent. The number of suspect children under the age of 14 increased by more than one fifth in the comparison period.
In Upper Austria, this development can be seen even more clearly in a long -term comparison: While 4,317 young people were suspected in 2015, the number in 2024 was 7,271 – an increase of around 70 percent.
In recent years, public sensation has caused incidents with high potential for violence, such as the riots for Halloween 2022 in Linz, in which around 200 young men with a migration background got into a violent examination of the police. Data show that almost half of the ten to 14-year-old suspects have no Austrian citizenship. In the case of Syrian suspects, the number of around 150 cases rose to around 1,000 in 2024 in 2020.
“After the Halloween Night 2022 we took a number of measures. In addition to repressive measures such as increased controls in parks and at neuralgic points, the youth contact officers have proven themselves in particular. This unit is primarily on the move and has been trying to talk to the young people. Since 2024, we can also read the effects of these measures, where contrary to the national trend There was a slight decline in the crimes of young people, ”explained State Police Director Andreas Pilsl.