I would like to inform myself

• On the website of the Sexual Abuse Help Portal, help with sexual abuse is available by phone, on site and by mail.
• You can also use the NRW police tip line to easily report observations that indicate sexual abuse or child pornography.
   

Further information on the topic of child pornography.

Violence in partnerships is a phenomenon that occurs in all social classes. In addition to physical violence, the forms of violence regularly include psychological violence through the exercise of power and/or control over the partner. The victims are exposed to violence by the perpetrator in the form of humiliation, threats, intimidation, social isolation or economic pressure.

Victims often feel that their situation is hopeless. Are you affected? Get professional help.

In acute violent situations, dial 110.

Further information.

Here, seniors get information and tips on how to protect themselves from crime.

Episodic behavior or the start of a criminal career? Around one in four suspects registered with the police is under the age of 21.

In order to counteract the development and consolidation of delinquent behavior among young people, trusting and continuous cooperation with children and young people, their parents or guardians, and the institutions and facilities dealing with them is required at an early stage.

Further information on juvenile delinquency and the crime prevention initiative "Kurve kriegen".

Addiction and drug-related crime has numerous facets. In addition to combating the phenomenon, prevention, i.e. preventing the misuse of drugs and addictive substances, is of particular importance.

The police are addressing this phenomenon not only "on the street" or in schools, but also intensively on the Internet, as online trade has now established itself as a fixed distribution channel.

Further information on the topic of drug-related crime as well as on legal and illegal addictive substances, their modes of action and dangers.

Cybercrime has many faces. The increasing spread of smartphones and tablets, for example, means that cybercrime phenomena such as phishing, cyberbullying and sexting are on the rise. Digital development is advancing rapidly. Consequently, the phenomenon area of cybercrime is also continuously evolving. This affects both victims and investigators, but also perpetrators. The latter are very creative when it comes to new attack techniques, which repeatedly leads to new ways of committing crimes.

Further information on the prevention of cybercrime.

Anyone who agitates is liable to prosecution. On the Internet, too. The Internet is not a lawless space. Hate postings on social media platforms are consistently prosecuted instead of just deleted.

Anyone can become a victim of hate crime. Hate crime is directed, for example, against people of a different origin, with dark skin, refugees, members of a different faith, people with a different sexual orientation, people with disabilities, and so on.

The perpetrators usually choose their victims randomly from the ""devalued group"". They are usually not concerned with the specific person. The aim is to send a (hate) message to the social group in question.

The Central and Contact Point Cybercrime North Rhine-Westphalia of the Cologne Public Prosecutor's Office (ZAC NRW for short) works together with the North Rhine-Westphalia Media Authority and major media companies to take coordinated and efficient action against hate postings on the internet that are relevant under criminal law.  The aim of the joint project between the public prosecutor's office and the police is to consistently prosecute obviously illegal postings on social media platforms instead of just deleting them. With this joint initiative, perpetrators are lifted out of anonymity in order to consistently counter racist opinion-making.

As of February 1, 2022, telemedia service providers (TMDAs) with more than 2 million users are required to transmit certain content to the BKA's "central reporting office for criminal content on the Internet" (ZMI) to enable prosecution.

In order to take effective nationwide action against hate on the Internet, the Federal Criminal Police Office has set up a central reporting office. Your tips are received and checked by the "respect!" reporting office. Posts that constitute incitement to hatred, insults, defamation or slander are then forwarded to platform operators with a request for deletion.

The project "Verfolgen statt nur Löschen" ("Follow up instead of just deleting") sees itself as a contribution to the protection and preservation of freedom of opinion through more efficient prosecution of punishable hate comments on the Internet.

If you are affected, please

• file a criminal complaint!
• immediately secure evidence through screenshots, photos, letters or similar!
• If possible, write a memorial protocol so that you do not forget important details!
   

Further information on the topic of "incitement to hatred on the Internet":

• Police NRW: Anyone who incites hatred is liable to prosecution, even on the Net.
• Medienanstalt NRW: "Prosecute instead of just delete" - Law enforcement on the net
• Police advice: Hate crime

Politically motivated crime includes all those criminal acts whose circumstances and/or the attitude of the perpetrator indicate that they are intended to influence the democratic decision-making process in a punishable manner, serve to achieve or prevent political goals or are directed against the realization of political decisions.

An act is considered to be politically motivated in particular if the circumstances of the act and/or the attitude of the perpetrator lead to the conclusion that it is directed against a person on the basis of his or her political views, nationality, skin color or religion, for example. In addition, so-called genuine state protection offenses such as the use of symbols of unconstitutional and terrorist organizations (Section 86a of the Criminal Code), terrorist financing (Section 89c of the Criminal Code) or the formation of terrorist organizations (Section 129a of the Criminal Code) are also covered.

Measures to prevent or reduce politically motivated crime are aimed at deterring potential perpetrators from committing crimes and at teaching their caregivers to recognize radicalization processes and options for consistent action.

Further information on politically motivated crime.

Open your eyes and close your bag! Pickpockets find their victims wherever there are crowds and crowds of people. The police provide valuable tips on how to protect yourself against pickpockets' tricks.

Further information on the subject of pickpocketing.

A burglary can change your life. Therefore, "Secure your home - so that it remains your home" and watch out for suspicious persons/situations. In case of suspicion, call the police immediately via 110. Get neutral and free advice from your police on burglary protection!

More information about protection against home burglary.

The handling of weapons in the territory of the Federal Republic of Germany is regulated by the Weapons Act.

Information on the subject of weapons law, weapons prohibition zones, weapons and prohibited objects can be found here:

• Information on weapons and prohibited objects
• Information on weapons prohibition zones
• Information on the weapons calendar
• Information on safe storage of weapons and ammunition

Democracy can only function if all citizens participate equally in the formation of the will of the people. With regard to the content of an assembly, the state is not only obligated to neutrality, but is in principle even obligated to protect assemblies of any content against disturbances from the outside. For one of the achievements of the modern constitutional state is in particular the protection of minorities and thus also the protection of minority opinions.

Anyone wishing to hold a public meeting in the open air must notify the competent district police authority at least 48 hours before the invitation to the meeting.

Learn more