Berlin invests 90 million euros in youth following New Year Eve’s riots

Mayor Franziska Giffey said that increased acts of violence against the police and fire brigade were a turning point requiring decisive action

Yesterday, Berlin authorities announced they would invest 90 million euros in the city’s youth in the next two years. This decision directly results from the New Year’s Eve riots around the Neukölln district. According to Mayor Franziska Giffey, the increased aggression and acts of violence against the police and fire brigade were a turning point that required decisive action.

Local authorities plan to spend 20 million euros in 2023 and a further 70 million euros in 2024. The funds would go towards funding more social work, the police and the judiciary to strengthen prevention mechanisms.

Working groups have prepared 29 measures

Local authorities in Berlin set up a series of meetings to develop concrete policy and funding proposals for dealing with youth violence. It included representatives of the Berlin Senate, the districts, the police, the Attorney General’s Office (Generalstaatsanwaltschaft), school social and youth experts and young people.

The first meeting was set up on 11 January, where the participants split into four working groups: "Parent work and school social work", "Extracurricular youth social work", "Strong districts and places for young people" and "Clear consequences of criminal offences and crossing borders". The work groups developed 29 specific measures.

The measures are aimed at expanding existing structures in a targeted manner and expanding target group-specific offers, particularly in socially disadvantaged neighbourhoods.  

These include 60 new positions for youth social workers in schools and 13 more positions for psychologists and social workers for advisory roles to youths prone to violence. Additionally, local authorities plan to make workshops with the fire brigade available for schools. Furthermore, 600,000 euros are earmarked for expanding the work with fathers and men.

Mayor Giffey was quoted in a press statement, saying: “These agreements are aimed at the needs of young people in difficult social situations. We are therefore investing in the renovation of youth leisure facilities, in cultural and educational offers and creating more jobs in youth and school social work. Everything that has been agreed is always about both: the outstretched hand and the clear stop signal.”