Cologne plans to significantly increase security for New Year's Eve

Record ID: 76897

  • Title: Cologne plans to significantly increase security for New Year's Eve
  • Date: 12th December 2016
  • Summary: COLOGNE, GERMANY (DECEMBER 12, 2016) (REUTERS) ****WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** WIDE OF COLOGNE POLICE NEWS CONFERENCE COLOGNE MAYOR, HENRIETTE REKER, AND COLOGNE POLICE PRESIDENT, JUERGEN MATHIES, SITTING DURING NEWS CONFERENCE CLOSE OF MATHIES, PAN TO REKER POLICE BADGE ON SLEEVE MATHIES GOING UP TO SPEAK (SOUNDBITE) (German) COLOGNE POLICE PRESIDENT, JUERGEN MATHIES, SAYING: "The attacks of this night that we saw in many images, photos and descriptions left me feeling empathy, anger and above all sadness because we, as police, were not able to be there when the people needed the police. This must not be allowed to happen again and that's why we will do everything in our power that people can celebrate the end of 2016 peacefully and safely on Cologne's streets and squares." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS MAP OF COLOGNE SQUARE (SOUNDBITE) (German) COLOGNE POLICE PRESIDENT, JUERGEN MATHIES, SAYING: "New Year's Eve 2016 will be characterised by a very, very large police presence. This huge police presence has one goal: that the people in Cologne, our citizens but also the many visitors who come here to celebrate on the streets and the squares and, as is tradition here, on the bridges, can do so peacefully and safely." PEOPLE LISTENING SECURITY PAMPHLETS (SOUNDBITE) (German) NORTH RHINE-WESTPHALIA POLICE PRESIDENT WOLFGANG WURM, SAYING: "We will set up ahead of time both in uniform and in plainclothes. We will be operating on the trains so that we can tell in advance who is on their way to Cologne. Is it people who want to celebrate peacefully, is it happy people or is it people that we should be paying attention to and who will be investigated early. We will be on permanent patrol and keeping watch so that there are no surprises. In the station itself we will of course have a much higher police presence and should there be too many people in the station, then we will regulate the crowds to avoid a situation that is not under control as in the past." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS
  • Embargoed: 27th December 2016 13:09
  • Keywords: Cologne New Years police violence security
  • Location: COLOGNE, GERMANY
  • City: COLOGNE, GERMANY
  • Country: Germany
  • Reuters ID: LVA0015CKVQKN
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:Cologne police on Monday (December 12) promised a huge police presence around the cathedral and main station and swore there would be no repeat of last year's wave of New Year's Eve assaults.
    Over 90 women reported being robbed, threatened or sexually molested at New Year celebrations outside Cologne's cathedral by young, mostly drunk, men on January 1, 2016.
    Attacks on women in Cologne and other German cities on New Year's Eve 2016 prompted more than 600 criminal complaints, with police suspicion resting on asylum seekers.
    Police said the attacks occurred when about 1,000 men split into gangs as officers cleared a square to stop fireworks being thrown from the top of steps into the crowd below.
    "New Year's Eve 2016 will be characterised by a very, very large police presence. This huge police presence has one goal: that the people in Cologne, our citizens but also the many visitors that come here to celebrate on the streets and the squares and, as is tradition here, on the bridges, can do so peacefully and safely," Cologne police president, Juergen Mathies said at a news conference to announce security measures.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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