Over 20,000 crimes have been reported on Berlin’s public transport so far this year — 36% more than for the whole of 2023. More than a third of all offenses occur on one subway line…
Berlin’s public transport system has seen a sharp rise in violence and criminal activity in 2024 with over 20,000 crimes recorded in the first nine months of the year — far surpassing the total number of offenses recorded in 2023.
Between January and September 2024, the police registered 20,179 crimes across Berlin’s buses, subways, and trams, according to state police data cited by Tagesspiegel.
This marks a significant 36 percent increase compared to the same period in 2023 when 14,825 cases were reported — and still with three months to go.
While theft remains the most common crime, the rise in violent offenses is particularly concerning. A total of 5,645 violent crimes were recorded including 4,017 cases of physical injury; 992 incidents involving coercion, threats, or deprivation of liberty; 349 robberies; and 287 sexual offenses.
Overall, more than a third of all crimes committed in subway stations – almost 35 percent – occur in stations on the U8 line between Wittenau and Hermannstrasse. The stops with the most incidents so far this year on that line are Kottbusser Tor (190), Alexanderplatz (138), and Hermannplatz (103).