Experience shows that acts of violence with a right-wing extremist background have a major negative impact on people's sense of security. As in the previous year, the number of reported offences was in the low single-digit range, but the clearance rate increased from 75% to 100%.
In May 2023, for example, thanks to the rapid response of the emergency services and good witness information, a 19-year-old suspect from Lower Saxony was arrested immediately after a dangerous assault in Dortmund.
The majority of offences in Dortmund and Lünen were violations of Sections 86 and 86a of the German Criminal Code (StGB) and incitement to hatred. One example is the seizure of an anti-Semitic banner in Dortmund-Dorstfeld. On the evening of 10.10.2023, right-wing extremists attached a banner with a statement taken from National Socialist propaganda to a residential building in Thusneldastrasse. In close cooperation with the public order office and the fire department, the banner was removed and criminal proceedings were initiated. Commenting on the situation in Dorstfeld, the police chief said: "Dorstfeld stands for diversity, respect, tolerance, democracy and respect for human dignity. The desperate rebellion of individuals against the disintegration of the right-wing extremist scene will not be tolerated by the police."
All in all, anti-Semitic crimes in the Dortmund police's area of responsibility increased last year. A not insignificant proportion of these were anti-Semitically motivated acts in connection with the conflict in Israel, which cannot be attributed to the well-known right-wing scene in Dortmund.
Shortly after the brutal attack on Israel by the terrorist organization Hamas, the Dortmund police set up a special investigation commission (EK). The EK "Middle East" deals with anti-Semitic crimes in connection with the conflict. Since October 7, the investigators have counted 99 such crimes in Dortmund and 4 in Lünen.
"Anti-Semitism - regardless of where it comes from - is a disgrace, especially in light of our history in Germany. Everyone is called upon to oppose such an intolerable development," emphasizes the Dortmund police chief.
The Soko Rechts remains vigilant and is monitoring current developments very closely. In particular, the officers are focusing on the political activities of known right-wing extremists in connection with the merger of two right-wing extremist parties to form "Heimat Dortmund". "We are therefore making full use of our legal scope of action in order to achieve maximum results when gathering information from this association. Information on which we base the necessary police and criminal proceedings measures," said Police President Gregor Lange on this form of political activism.
These measures include the intensive right-wing offender concept. This intensive offender concept was introduced by the police in North Rhine-Westphalia in 2018 for the standardized processing of multiple or intensive offenders in the field of "politically motivated crime". The intensive offender concept is applied to all areas of politically motivated crime and primarily serves to reduce the number of cases and increase the clearance rate. A low double-digit number of people are currently listed as right-wing extremists in the area of responsibility of the Dortmund State Security Department.
Police President Gregor Lange: "The convictions and arrests from the past year show that our measures against the neo-Nazi scene are bearing fruit. Sentences were handed down against five known right-wing extremists from Dortmund, with three cases resulting in fines and two prison sentences. In addition, there are two further offenders who are currently in custody, irrespective of the aforementioned convictions. We have been making things as uncomfortable as possible for the Dortmund neo-Nazi scene for nine years now. This scene can be described as essentially smashed. Leading figures have left the city due to a self-proclaimed lack of prospects and have moved away from Dortmund. The Dortmund scene's assembly activity has virtually reached zero."
However, the police chief warns against resting on the laurels and makes it clear that the police are still keeping a close eye on developments in Dortmund and throughout Germany: "There is currently a major threat from right-wing populists. Nationwide and also in Dortmund, a dangerous mixture of the New Right, the Identitarian movement and a right-wing populist or even right-wing extremist party supported by too many voters pose the greatest threat to our democracy and our constitutional state. All parts of society are called upon to take decisive action against this development."