Police operation in Greifswald: Why was the 18-year-old sent away?

Police operation in Greifswald: Why was the 18-year-old sent away?

On Thursday evening, a police operation in the Möwencenter in Greifswald caused a stir. The incident, which took place around 7 p.m., was initially triggered by a call from a whistleblower who claimed that an 18-year-old German was rioting in the center. However, when the police arrived, it turned out that there was no crime. Surprisingly, the police nevertheless gave the young man a dismissal, which he said he complied with. It remains unclear why this expulsion occurred since, according to the Nordkurier report, no criminal behavior could be found(Northern Courier).

In this context, the question arises as to what legal basis such operations are based on and how they are assessed in this day and age, when juvenile crime in Germany has reached a peak of around 13,800 cases. According to the Federal Criminal Police Office, the increase is due, among other things, to psychological stress caused by the Corona measures. The main thing to note here is that the number of young suspects fell by around 6 percent in 2024, which suggests that despite increasing violence among young people, a large part of the problem still results from special risk factors(Statista).

Legal consequences and social contexts

Another current topic is the legal consideration of police operations against young people. A court in Greifswald recently ruled that the police acted unlawfully when they removed a then 16-year-old student from class in 2024 who had allegedly shared “content relevant to state security” on her TikTok account. After an anonymous report, the student was taken out of class and a threat person was approached. The court was of the opinion that more lenient measures could have been taken instead of immediately removing the student from class(NDR).

Critics of the police, especially right-wing populist media and the AfD, accuse the school management of following Stasi methods with such measures. The confrontation with the police and the discussion about how to deal with young people raises questions about the right level of prevention and intervention, especially when it comes to identifying and combating criminal behavior at an early stage.

A look at juvenile crime

The development of juvenile crime, which has taken a worrying turn in recent years, is dangerous. Although statistics report a decline in the number of young suspects, the proportion of male perpetrators remains at 75 percent. This raises questions about the underlying social and psychological factors. Hormonal circumstances as well as acquired behavior and traditional role models could play a role in why young males in particular get into conflicts(Statista).

Society is required to find solutions to counteract these trends. It is important to work more preventatively in child and youth welfare in order to avoid risky life paths. One thing is certain: there is still a lot to be done to develop effective measures. The recent incident in Greifswald shows how complex the situation is and that it is often not just about the actions of the police, but also about understanding the challenges that young people are facing today.