Gare residents describe their living experience

Earlier in the week, RTL spoke to Claude, a fairly new resident of the area. Today, Lisa (pseudonym), who has lived on Rue de Strasbourg for two decades, describes her experience of living near the city's main train station.

She told RTL that burglaries are common in her building, with six occurring this year alone. She also recounted stories of homeless people defecating in the back garden as "they have nowhere else to go", while drug addicts break windows to enter buildings.

For Lisa, the presence of prostitutes on her street is not a problem - she said she is not bothered by the girls. However, the real issue in the area is the drug dealing, she explained, citing examples of dealers approaching her daughter. According to Lisa, the dealers target young people, sometimes offering drugs for free, and act aggressively if approached. She told RTL she understands that if young people want to take drugs, they will do so one way or another, but she insisted such easy access to banned substances could damage an entire generation.

For this reason, Lisa strongly supports an increased police presence, CCTV, and special neighbourhood watch groups to tackle crime in the streets around the Gare.

"THE POLICE DO WHAT THEY CAN"

Following a meeting with the city council in 2019, the police increased their patrols of the area. Lisa described this as "paradise", explaining the police were seen daily on the streets and the dealers disappeared. However, the joy was short-lived: after just a few weeks, the patrols reduced.

Lisa insisted she did not blame the police, saying they did what they could. She suspected they were understaffed for the role, and explained she had always had good interactions with the officers in the area.

Une intervention de police dans le quartier Gare / © Archive RTL

Lisa went on to explain that she filed a complaint against an individual who assaulted her, but that she saw him on the street a few days after the arrest  - this was sufficient proof for her that a systemic problem exists in Luxembourg.

INSUFFICIENT SOLUTIONS

As for her home on Rue de Strasbourg, Lisa said she did not think sufficient measures had been taken to secure the area. CCTV has been installed, but only covers half the street, while part of the road has been closed to traffic, which in Lisa's opinion has exacerbated the issue with the drug dealers. She explained previously the amount of traffic had deterred them, but now they have space to carry out their activities.

For Lisa, these measures proved that the decisions are taken by people who are not familiar with the neighbourhood. Above all, she said the City of Luxembourg needed to invest in order to resolve the issues of security surrounding the train station.

HOME, IN SPITE OF EVERYTHING

Although Lisa has many reasons to criticise the neighbourhood, she maintained she still loved her home in spite of the issues. During the day, she said, it was the best district in the city, with a great atmosphere, mix of cultures and the best shops.

At night though, it is a different story, with many of her friends afraid to visit her house. Lisa's social life has suffered as a result.

She also pointed out that the prostitutes in the area were starting to work earlier and earlier, as they too were afraid of the drug dealers permeating the streets. Lisa said she understood families' concerns regarding the situation, and hoped her voice would help to add weight to the demands for more stringent measures in the neighbourhood.