New police station in Leipzig: end of the weapons ban zone in sight!

New police station in Leipzig: end of the weapons ban zone in sight!

Something is happening in Leipzig, on the infamous Eisenbahnstrasse. From today, June 25, 2025, a new police station will be opened here, which is intended to bring a breath of fresh air to the area for residents. How Picture According to reports, the station is staffed by three officers who are on site from Monday to Thursday to act as contacts and increase security in the area.

Unfortunately, Eisenbahnstrasse doesn't have a particularly good reputation. High crime rates, from burglaries to knife attacks and shootings, make the streets a problem child. Particularly frightening was a mass brawl in May 2023 in which a machete was used, and two months later a 39-year-old man was stabbed. According to a weapons ban zone in place since 2018, such incidents should be curbed. However, this has proven to be less than successful, as a study by the University of Leipzig shows.

The fight against crime

The new police station is not only a bright spot, but also part of an action plan to end the weapons ban zone. Although this had good intentions, it was not convincing in practice. Loud MDR Residents are now demanding significantly more presence and prevention, especially due to drug trafficking, littering and reckless drivers. The Leipzig city council also agrees: an abolition of the weapons ban zone is overdue until an effective solution has been found.

The weapons ban zone covers an area the size of around 70 football fields and is intended to prevent the carrying of firearms, knives and other dangerous objects. The Saxon Ministry of the Interior is also planning to abolish this zone in connection with the opening of the new police station. But no suitable property has yet been found, which is delaying the cancellation.

A glimmer of hope for the citizens

Police Chief René Demmler will also be on site at the open day, which takes place to mark the opening of the station. Anyone interested can contact the officials and clarify questions here. Before the opening, the construction site was already the focus of attention when around 80 masked people threw stones at the building a few weeks ago. The dissatisfaction with rising crime and the security measures in place is palpable. The evaluation of the weapons ban zone, which was carried out by an interdisciplinary team led by Prof. Dr. Kurt Mühler, should serve as a basis for discussion for future measures. A comprehensive analysis, which also looks at residents' acceptance and sense of security, has already been carried out and is available in volume 109 of the Rothenburg contributions to police and security research.

Overall, the development on Eisenbahnstrasse shows how important security and order are for residents. In the future, the new police station could make a decisive contribution to ensuring that citizens can feel safer in their neighborhood again.