The Interior Ministry announced this. The measure comes after several people were injured, some seriously, in knife attacks in the neighborhood the previous week. Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) described the measure as a “first step”.
The zone, once it comes into effect, will be the second such facility in the federal capital. Such a zone already exists at the Praterstern in Leopoldstadt and the surrounding area. On the Danube Canal, such a weapons ban applied to parts of Franz-Josefs-Kai from February 2019 to February 2021. A corresponding regulation from the Vienna State Police Department is always required. This was no longer extended for the Danube Canal at that time.
The police are allowed to search people in the zones. If someone is caught, they have to give up their weapons. He also faces an administrative penalty. Anyone who carries weapons or similar objects – such as knives – in the exercise of their profession or on the basis of a permit is exempt from the ban.
“Take decisive action against juvenile crime”
Karner reiterated that the police want to take decisive action against juvenile crime. The weapons ban zone is part of a corresponding “package of measures”. A working group is currently working on ways to reduce criminal responsibility and to enforce consequences and sanctions for perpetrators who are not of criminal responsibility. Furthermore, a legal change for a general ban on weapons – especially knives – in public spaces is being developed. The political leaders primarily want to take knives out of circulation in public spaces.
“Consistent action against juvenile crime requires measures at various levels,” said the Interior Minister. “A selective weapons ban zone is just a first step. The aim is to ensure efficient powers for the police across the board in order to be able to better remove knives from circulation.”
The plan to implement a general ban on weapons in Austria is supported by Vienna’s mayor Michael Ludwig (SPÖ). In a reaction today, he reiterated his corresponding demand. “A general ban on weapons in public spaces should be introduced in Austria. At the same time, I also advocate a redefinition and tightening of the weapon law,” it said in a statement.
More restrictions on gun ownership in the future
Due to clear legal rules, there should be more restrictions on the ownership of weapons in the future, although stricter rules should also be considered when storing and handing over long weapons, for example, the city boss found. The regulations must be clear and precise, i.e. which knives are affected.
“A butter knife would probably be excluded, otherwise there are few reasons to walk through the city with a knife,” he emphasized. Of course, there must be exceptions for hunters or people who carry a weapon with them for professional reasons, Ludwig added.
Even if weapon ban zones can currently only be enacted in certain places and in a regionally limited manner, the mayor said – for preventive reasons – the effect should “under no circumstances” be that prohibited behavior is permitted and socially accepted elsewhere – and he expressly praised the “excellent work” of the police praised the need for clear federal legal provisions.
Vienna’s FPÖ leader Dominik Nepp called on the Interior Minister to set up a police container at Reumannplatz. On the one hand, the permanent presence of police officers would have a deterrent effect and, on the other hand, the officers would be in the middle of the action and could intervene immediately, he pointed out. At the same time, he demanded that the Keplerplatz police station be reopened at night – which, according to the FPÖ, is currently not the case.
This article was updated at 12:01 p.m.
