Sell ​​weapons instead of destroying them? NRW politics in the dispute over security!

Sell ​​weapons instead of destroying them? NRW politics in the dispute over security!

The State Audit Office of North Rhine-Westphalia suggests selling confiscated weapons from crimes instead of destroying them. According to the report of Cologne City-Anzeiger The sale of valuable weapons, such as hunting weapons, could bring economic benefits by saving costs or generating revenue. However, this proposal faces resistance from the Justice Department, which does not want to position itself as an arms dealer.

The background for the discussion is the examination of the overflowing evidence chambers by the State Audit Office. The current process stipulates that confiscated weapons are taken to the state for weapons recycling after the procedures have been completed and then destroyed. In total, between 40,000 and 50,000 weapons are destroyed every year, including live firearms and other dangerous items. The State Audit Office criticizes the destruction of these valuable weapons as uneconomical and points out that the proposed sale is only about handing them over to authorized persons.

Controversies surrounding security and exploitation practices

The Justice Department has expressed concerns that selling weapons could lead to unwanted distribution among the population. Oliver Huth, the head of the BDK NRW, emphasizes the problem of manipulated weapons and doubts the efficiency of budget consolidation through sales. Another political actor, Werner Pfeil from the FDP, advocates the destruction of stored weapons to maintain public safety.

Current developments in Bavaria shed further light on the problem of arms sales. Several officers from the Bavarian State Criminal Police Office (LKA) in Munich are being investigated here. There is a suspicion that weapons and weapon parts that were intended for disposal were sold illegally, such as BR.de reported. Among those affected are officers aged 59, 60 and 66 who worked in the LKA's central weapons disposal unit.

As part of the investigation, the apartment of an officer who had already come under the radar of the disciplinary authorities due to statements glorifying violence was searched. During this search, decorative weapons and weapon parts were found that may have previously been disposed of by the Central Weapons Recycling Department. The LKA has improved its security measures since 2021 after an incident in which a revolver could have been guaranteed to be sold to the public. These measures include adjustments to access authorizations and the installation of surveillance cameras and metal detectors.

The Central Weapons Recycling Center is closed due to the current investigation and further security checks by neutral experts are planned before it reopens to ensure the integrity of the process.