Luxembourg City’s once beloved Gare neighbourhood grapples with a disheartening daily reality that leaves residents anxious for their children’s safety.
-> “Save Gare for a safe Luxembourg": Protesters call for increased security in Gare district
Despite police raids targeting the drug scene, the passing of a new law allowing forced removal of individuals (“Platzverweis”) in July 2022, the deployment of private security guards, and regular neighbourhood meetings, the feeling of insecurity has escalated.
In a – for Luxembourgish standards – rare show of frustration, 300 to 400 Gare district residents took to the streets recently, demanding political leaders restore law and order, beginning with a 24-hour police presence.
Mayor Polfer, echoing the sentiments of the concerned residents, deems the situation “untenable and unacceptable.” On Wednesday, she clarified that although she is responsible for security under police regulations, she lacks the authority to mandate police patrols, emphasising that the mayor is not the police chief, contrary to popular belief.
Serge Wilmes, a senior member of the capital’s municipal executive board, summed up the dilemma at hand: “Under current police regulations, the mayor is responsible for security, but they don’t have the means to enforce it.” And yet “it’s extremely important that mayors have the ability to organise public space security,” according to Polfer, who pointed out that “in all neighbouring countries, mayors have police powers.”
Aside from the shared sense of the intolerable security situation, the duo running the capital also sent out another, more political message on Wednesday. Lydie Polfer (Democratic Party – DP) and Serge Wilmes (Christian Social People’s Party – CSV) are in full agreement on the need for a stronger police presence: “We need permanent patrols,” Polfer said.
However, the current police staffing levels, approximately “280 to 300 police officers” working in shifts, are stretched thin, with only “between 50 and 60 available at best” on a daily basis. In Polfer’s view, this is not enough to ensure a comprehensive preventive police presence.
Both Polfer and Wilmes also advocate for the establishment of a municipal police force within Luxembourg City, a proposal put forth by their respective parties. However, the realisation of this proposal hinges on the enactment of a new law, a commitment that Mayor Polfer, who also serves as an MP, emphasises she is “100% committed to making a reality.”
The two elected representatives make it clear that the ball is now in the voters’ court: “We’re waiting to see what choice people make on 8 October, and then we’ll see who we have to deal with.”
Out of Luxembourg City’s 133,000 residents, only 33,109 Luxembourg nationals will have the opportunity to cast their votes on Sunday 8 October. It remains to be seen how many of them consider security in the Gare neighbourhood a critical concern.
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