Increase in juvenile delinquency in Austria

(ANSA) - VIENNA, 19 LUG - Since its inception in mid-March, the Austrian police task force for Juvenile Delinquency (EJK) has filed approximately 4,200 reports and made 380 arrests. Half of the reports and over 280 arrests occurred in Vienna. More than 1,000 of those reported were minors, with around 300 in Vienna. The EJK has so far checked 30,000 people across the country.
    Interior Minister Gerhard Karner announced plans to increase police presence in Vienna and launched a training and incentive offensive for officers last year. Karner also proposed a "knife ban law," which has yet to gain parliamentary support.
    The Interior Ministry highlighted that the number of minors reported for criminal offenses has increased from 4,800 in 2013 to over 9,500 in 2022. The ministry also emphasized implementing youth prevention measures, which reached about 140,000 people last year. (ANSA).