Luxembourg will increase the number of police checks and keep some police stations open 24/7 as part of a plan to tackle drug-related crime.
The “Drogendësch 2.0”, a roundtable involving different players where the plan was discussed, continued talks and updated measures adopted in 2021 to deal with drug abuse. “We want to give citizens their neighbourhood back,” said Home AffairsMminister Léon Gloden during a presentation of the programme.
The minister on Thursday said there had been a 37% increase of police files linked to drug trafficking, and over 200 arrests made in that context. Between January and April this year, authorities announced three major drug busts, and police officers carried out 2,800 patrols in Luxembourg City, of which 35% took place in the Gare/Hollerich and Bonnevoie districts.
“This represents on average nine patrols a day,” Gloden said in a statement.
The package of 60 measures announced was conceived in collaboration with the justice, health and family ministries, as well as the City of Luxembourg, justice and social sector representatives, and the police.
These measures aim to “apprehend criminality linked to drugs in the interest of public order and health, and social cohesion in the targeted neighbourhoods,” the home affairs ministry said in its statement, adding that “combating drug-related crime is one of the government’s main concerns.”
While the strategy wants to catch and penalise offenders, “we want to do more to help people in great distress,” the ministry said.
Among the main measures presented were an increase of police presence, the extension of opening hours for the Gare/Hollerich and Ettelbrück police stations to be open 24/7, and the opening of new stations in Gare/Hollerich and Bonnevoie.
The Visupol project – which operates a network of CCTV cameras in the capital – will be expanded, and a reinforced begging ban will be introduced. The strategy also introduces community policing.
Meanwhile, the health ministry vowed to reinforce the offer of psycho-socio-medical services, as well as new facilities for the Abrigago shelter where drug users can seek help and can consume safely. The opening hours will also be extended there and at existing day shelters.
The ministry has already set up a new shelter for female drug users, the Centre Marga, presented in January.
The justice ministry in turn intends to accelerate and modernise penal justice, as well as reinforce concrete measures in the fight against severe crime by modifying the penal code. It also intends to hire more magistrates to process cases.
The family ministry aims to develop the capacity of shelters and offer more social support to users. “It is essential not to confuse homelessness with drug addiction and related crime,” Family Minister Max Hahn underlined, stressing that these are only part of the measures to be elaborated to fight homelessness.
Government presents 60 measures to deal with drug-related crime in Luxembourg Read More
