Lower Austria police add patrols for Halloween weekend

Police in Lower Austria will deploy additional patrols over Halloween weekend after 200 cases of property damage and 50 assaults were reported last year, ORF reports.

Graves were among the targets of vandalism on Halloween night last year. Police also regularly respond to incidents at Halloween parties, including assaults. They say extra patrols will be ready on Saturday to respond quickly and monitor the situation.

Police are already carrying out more checks, focusing in particular on illegal fireworks, which often come from abroad and can cause serious accidents. Recently, officers seized illegal spherical bombs. Police spokesperson Johann Baumschlager said Halloween night would be “similar in intensity to New Year’s Eve”. Checks are planned in towns and districts, with particular attention to drink-driving.

Baumschlager said property damage at Halloween is often caused by children and teenagers. He urged parents to explain where a prank crosses the line into a criminal offence. Alcohol is also a factor in some incidents involving teenagers, he said. Even if those involved regret their actions the next day, police are required to file a report.

The State Office for the Protection of the Constitution and Counterterrorism is monitoring social media calls following unrest in France and other EU countries. Police have not identified a location in Lower Austria where a demonstration is planned or may take place. However, an on-call service, an operational unit and a rapid intervention group are ready to respond. Baumschlager said aggression towards emergency responders remained high and appeared to increase when officers intervened.