Strengthening and expansion of partnerships for 'Safe Heilbronn' initiative
In a significant stride towards enhancing public safety, the city of Heilbronn has achieved a clearance rate of 67.1 percent, marking a 20-year high. This milestone comes as a result of the "Secure Heilbronn" initiative, a cooperative effort between the Ministry of the Interior, Digitalization and Communities, the Heilbronn Police Headquarters, and the City of Heilbronn.
The agreement, signed on October 17, 2024, aims to further strengthen the sense of security among the population in Heilbronn. The concept for this initiative was agreed and implemented by the Police Headquarters Heilbronn and the city of Heilbronn on April 24, 2023, based on a citizen survey conducted by the Institute of Criminology at Heidelberg University in the summer of 2022.
The "Secure Heilbronn" initiative has seen the implementation of targeted police presence and control measures, supplemented by patrols from the municipal public order service in 2023. These measures have led to a decrease in public space crimes, particularly aggressive offenses, as of 2024.
To address specific areas of concern, the city has designated the area around the main station and parts of the city center as weapon and knife ban zones. Additionally, prostitution has been prohibited in the area of Hafenstraße, and an alcohol ban has been imposed in the area of Flügelnussbaum/Stadtgarten due to repeated public order disturbances and increases in violent crime.
Despite a 28.7 percent increase in total crimes in 2023, compared to the previous year, Heilbronn still ranks as a very safe large city. The crime rate in Heilbronn has been below the average crime rate of large cities in Baden-Württemberg for the past ten years.
Mayor of Heilbronn, Harry Mergel, emphasised the importance of citizens feeling secure and enjoying the city center. Thomas Strobl, Deputy Minister-President and Interior Minister, stated that the agreement is specifically addressing areas where people feel fear. Frank Spitzmüller, Police President, mentioned that the agreement will continue the proven cooperation by keeping the security interests of citizens in mind.
The city and police headquarters are optimistic that these positive effects will be reinforced and expanded with the new cooperation agreement "Secure Heilbronn". The agreement continues the proven cooperation between the city and the police, working together to ensure the safety and well-being of all Heilbronn residents.
