Security in Stuttgart: Where the fear of crime is growing!

Security in Stuttgart: Where the fear of crime is growing!

Stuttgart is considered one of the safest cities in Germany. Nevertheless, exclusive evaluations show that a higher number of crimes are reported in certain parts of the city. According to the analysis by the SWR Data Lab, around 54,000 crimes were recorded in 2024 for which the police completed investigations. However, this only includes registered crimes, while unreported crimes, the so-called unreported cases, are not taken into account. What is particularly noteworthy is that around 25% of Stuttgart citizens stated in a Europe-wide security survey that they were often or very often afraid of becoming a victim of a crime alone at night, even though only around one in seven people said they felt unsafe.

Police crime statistics show that Stuttgart only records a few burglaries compared to other cities. In 2024, the police reported 207 completed burglaries and 179 attempted burglaries. The Bad Cannstatt district was particularly affected, with 50 burglaries taken into account, while Birkach did not report a single burglary. The burglaries per 1,000 inhabitants were 1.4 in Hedelfingen, 1.1 in Stuttgart-Nord and 0.7 in Bad Cannstatt. Police spokesman Tobias Kutter explains that groups of perpetrators are often temporarily active in certain residential areas, which can influence the security situation on site.

Public violence and drug-related crime

An alarming phenomenon is the high number of violent crimes. Almost 1,200 public acts of violence were registered in Stuttgart-Mitte in 2024, with almost half of them taking place in this district. While Bad Cannstatt recorded 229 cases, the numbers in other districts were below 50. In addition, violent crime is difficult to quantify because many crimes remain unreported. The high level of drug crime is interesting: one in three Stuttgart residents over the age of 14 has already consumed illegal drugs. More than half of the 3,140 drug offenses were registered in Stuttgart-Mitte, with cannabis being the most common drug with 1,800 offenses.

In order to get a more comprehensive picture of crime in Stuttgart, a current study is examining the dark area of ​​crime. This analysis of unreported crimes is intended to help the city design effective prevention measures and use targeted resources. The focus is on reducing crime and strengthening victim protection. The need to accurately understand citizens' sense of security is becoming increasingly clear: only a comprehensive approach can effectively combat crime, as crimes that go unreported occur in every community, often out of shame or fear.

Overall crime situation

Taking national trends into account, the police crime statistics (PKS) show that crime in Germany has fallen overall by 1.7% to around 5.84 million cases. The decline in cannabis crimes, due to partial legalization since April 2024, has had a significant impact. However, there is an increase in crimes that affect people's sense of security, highlighting the complexity of fighting crime. In Stuttgart, crime remains at a lower level compared to 20 years ago, but the specific distribution and the respective perception of security by citizens must be continuously monitored.

Problematic places in Stuttgart include the Obere Schlossgarten, the Arnulf-Klett-Passage as well as the Leonhardsviertel and the station forecourt. Despite the overall positive security statistics, the challenges cannot be underestimated and city authorities are faced with the task of promoting both the feeling of security and actual security.