The October 2026 Monthly Report is now available. Each month, GPA SA compiles and analyses the main criminal and security incidents in Switzerland, based on cantonal police press releases and media reports.
Gun shops in the crosshairs
In October, 85 incidents were recorded across 21 cantons. Property crime dominated the selection, with:
burglaries (27 cases) targeting homes, garages, shops and business premises, including four gun shops in two weeks in Morges, Bière, Mägenwil and Höri;
thefts (12 cases) and robberies (9 cases), including the theft of luxury cars in Risch-Rotkreuz and a break-in by hooded individuals at an occupied home in Coppet;
assaults (13 cases), including a man shot several times in Carouge and two ice hockey fans seriously injured in Prilly;
two homicides, in Brugg and Stein;
fake police officer and fake banker scams in Val-de-Travers and Val-de-Ruz, as well as major drug seizures, including more than 60 kg in Dällikon and 12.3 kg of cocaine in Kloten.
Notable public safety events
Several nights of unrest mobilised the police in Bern, Zurich and Basel, notably during an illegal party at Hardplatz in Zurich and on Halloween night, which was marked by burning barricades and vandalism. In Beringen (SH), an ATM explosion set the building on fire and led to the evacuation of thirteen people; three suspects were arrested in the Netherlands two days later. In Olten, explosions in an industrial area injured two people, and in Fribourg, a fire in an underground car park led to the evacuation of more than one hundred people.
Four points of attention
The report takes a closer look at four of the month's developments:
Gun shops: four businesses targeted in two weeks, with common features in the modus operandi: break-ins in the middle of the night, getaway by vehicle and reconnaissance a few days beforehand;
Geneva: the start of the burglary season, with burglaries rising by 45% between October and March compared with summer, and cellars increasingly targeted;
ATMs: the lead of a cross-border gang following the Beringen attack;
Halloween: the unauthorised gatherings in Zurich and Basel, a first test ahead of the mobilisations announced for 20 November, which GPA analyses in its dedicated report Violence and protests in France: what Geneva must and can anticipate.
Anticipate rather than react
This overview of the month's trends is designed to support your prevention efforts and the adaptation of your security arrangements. On request, GPA also produces customised reports focusing on your business sector or professional ecosystem.