Berlin police made 391 calls to outdoor pools, mostly for thefts

Berlin police responded to 391 incidents at and around the city’s outdoor swimming pools during this summer season. Most involved thefts inside a pool, outside it or in the immediate vicinity, police said in response to an inquiry.

The figures cover the period from May 1 to August 23 and include 20 pools. Police recorded 39 assaults, 21 trespassing offenses, 20 cases of fraud and 12 insults. Other incidents involved traffic offenses near the pools, property damage, disputes, drugs, harassment and noise.

Prinzenbad in Kreuzberg recorded the most police operations, with 52. The pool also attracts the highest number of visitors each year. The Sommerbad am Insulaner and Columbiabad in Neukölln followed with 35 operations each, while the outdoor pool in Pankow recorded 32 and Strandbad Wannsee recorded 29.

The figures come against a backdrop of high attendance. The pools recorded about 1.4 million visitors last year and roughly 1.9 million in 2024. Visitor numbers are also in the millions this year. Because hot weekends in earlier years often brought fights and disturbances involving teenagers and young adults, some pools spent around 2 million euros per season on private guards. They also introduced identity checks at entrances, raised fences, installed surveillance cameras and added free sports activities.