The reason for Garner's local inspection is a planned task force to combat juvenile delinquency, which will conduct raids in public places.

After a local inspection in Vienna's Praterstern on Wednesday, Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) received a picture of police action in Favoriten on Monday evening, where youth crime is most common. This is due to the planned Task Force to Combat Juvenile Crime (EJK) which, among other things, will conduct searches in public places.

In future, EJK will identify hotspots, identify youth gang members, detect new cases quickly and initiate countermeasures accordingly. The findings of the task force will then be incorporated into an interdisciplinary task force.

According to the ministry, crime among children and youth has increased significantly in recent years. While 4,800 ten to 14-year-olds were reported for crime in 2013, there were more than 9,500 in 2022. The number of 14- to 18-year-olds reported for crime has also increased from 24,800 in 2013 to almost 34,000 in 2022. The most common crimes include theft, property damage, bodily harm, dangerous threats, robbery, but also drug-related crimes. (APA)