Updated:
They deal in drugs, blackmail their peers: youth gangs are also up to mischief in Munich. A new study provides insights into the structures of the gangs.
Munich – Groups in the cities of Munich, Augsburg and Nuremberg as well as in the surrounding area were examined. They all made police appearances in 2021. In Munich, the focus was on a youth gang that is active in Laim. The gang and its then 32 members committed 124 proven crimes in 2021 alone. “Your goal is to make money as quickly as possible,” says Michael Laumer from the State Criminal Police Office (LKA), who oversaw the study.
The gang members act extremely brutally. One of their tricks: predatory blackmail. The groups mostly threatened people of the same age, sometimes even with death, so that they would give them their clothes or valuables. In addition, crimes such as drug trafficking, violent crimes or burglaries also played a role in the groups examined in all cities.
Munich youth gangs cause terror in districts – new study published
In München In addition to the gang in Laim, three other groups were noticed in 2021: They acted primarily in the districts of Neuhausen, Neuperlach and Berg am Laim. Are there other gangs? Laumer cannot rule that out.
He assumes that the structures of the groups are similar. Striking: The members are almost all male. In 2021 there was only one active female member in the Laimer Bande. And: Most of the young people were between 16 and 18 years old. Their motive: “Increased status, gain in prestige and group membership,” says Laumer. The majority of the perpetrators come from precarious backgrounds, their school performance is poor. They see crime as the only way to get money quickly. The problem does not only affect the poorer classes, according to Laumer: “A very small part of the members can be described as neglected by affluence.” In other words, young people from well-off households who have received little attention.
How strong the violent acts of the gangs will continue in 2022 cannot yet be said conclusively – in the first half of the year there were signs of a downward trend. Nevertheless: “The problem remains,” says Laumer. J
Regular, free of charge and always up-to-date: We compile all the news and stories from Munich for you and deliver them to you free of charge by e-mail in our brand new Munich newsletter. Sign up now!
