Bavarian crime statistics indicate record low

The Bavarian interior minister, Joachim Hermann, said on Monday that road checks in the Czech-German border areas must continue in view of curbing crime. The minister said newly published crime statistics indicate that Bavaria last year saw the lowest number of criminal acts since 1992. Czechs were at the top of the statistics of incidents where foreigners smuggled drugs into Bavaria. At the same time, car theft along the border with the Czech Republic increased. Mr. Herrmann said the key to success was in effective cross-border cooperation.

Increased controls of Czech drivers in Bavaria had lead the former prime minister, Mírek Topolánek, to criticize the Bavarian and German governments, stating that the controls constituted harassment and should cease immediately.

Author: Sarah Borufka