Safety in German city centres is increasingly becoming the focus of security policy strategies. Rising visitor numbers, increased use of public spaces and new forms of crime are presenting cities and security authorities with complex challenges. In Nuremberg, Bavaria’s Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann and Nuremberg’s Lord Mayor Marcus König have now presented current measures to strengthen security in the city centre. The focus is on an integrative concept combining police presence, preventive measures, regulatory instruments and technical support.

Strategic initiative ‘Bavaria. 360° Security’

Back in October 2024, the Bavarian police set up the working group ‘Bavaria. 360° Security.’ The aim of this initiative is to identify potential crime hotspots at an early stage and to counteract them with coordinated measures. This does not involve exclusively repressive action, but rather a combination of prevention, visible police presence and close cooperation with local authorities.

Minister of the Interior Herrmann emphasises that safe city centres are a key prerequisite for quality of life, economic attractiveness and social stability. Accordingly, Bavaria is focusing on a comprehensive package of measures designed to address potential problems at an early stage.

Increased police presence in public spaces

A central component of the security strategy is the increased presence of uniformed officers in urban areas. In Nuremberg, this is achieved through increased foot patrols by the Bavarian police, supplemented by bicycle patrols and mounted police. This form of visible presence is intended to have a preventive effect and increase accessibility for citizens.

In addition, municipal law enforcement and security guards are regularly on duty, especially in parks and green spaces and at known meeting places with increased potential for conflict.

Another component is the so-called contact area officers. These are experienced police officers who are assigned to specific neighbourhoods and act as permanent contacts for the population, businesses and local institutions. This model strengthens trust in the police and at the same time improves the information situation on the ground.

Regulatory instruments against conflict zones

In addition to police presence, the security strategy increasingly relies on regulatory measures to curb problematic developments in public spaces.

In Nuremberg, several such instruments have been introduced or expanded in recent months

• April 2025: Establishment of a weapons and knife ban zone in the extended area of the main railway station
• December 2025: Introduction of a cannabis ban zone
• Expansion of the existing alcohol ban zone around Aufseßplatz

These measures are intended in particular to prevent situations that encourage violence in heavily frequented areas and to reduce security risks at an early stage.

Expansion of video surveillance

At the same time, Bavaria is increasingly relying on police video surveillance as a technical tool for averting danger. The Bavarian police already operate permanent stationary video surveillance systems at 17 locations across the state, including in cities such as Munich, Augsburg, Regensburg and Coburg.

In Nuremberg, surveillance was supplemented in July 2025 by a mobile video trailer in Südstadtpark. Such mobile systems enable a flexible response to temporary security situations or events.

Studies from security research show that video surveillance, especially in combination with a visible police presence, can have a preventive effect, but at the same time places high demands on data protection and transparent deployment concepts.

Focus on security in public transport

For 2026, the Nuremberg police are placing additional emphasis on public transport. Since the beginning of the year, several targeted checks have already been carried out, often with the support of the riot police. The aim is to strengthen the feeling of safety at transport hubs and on public transport.

Police Chief Gernot Rochholz emphasises the importance of visible police presence: The police must become ‘even more visible and approachable’ for the population.

Cooperation as the key to urban safety

Mayor Marcus König emphasises that the security strategy can only work in close cooperation between the police, city administration and other stakeholders. In addition to regulatory and police measures, social prevention, municipal public order services and urban infrastructure policy also play an important role.

This cooperative model is clearly having an effect: in a nationwide comparison of the safest cities with more than 200,000 inhabitants, Nuremberg currently ranks second behind Munich, followed by Augsburg.

Security as an ongoing joint task

The discussion about urban security clearly shows that city centres must increasingly be viewed as complex security areas. Police presence, technological support, regulatory instruments and social prevention form an interlocking system.

Minister of the Interior Herrmann therefore emphasises that security is not a short-term project, but a long-term joint task. Continuous cooperation between the police, local authorities, government agencies and social institutions is crucial in order to strengthen both the objective security situation and the subjective sense of security among the population in the long term.