Drug addicts in Prague: The city will prepare for the decentralization of low-threshold centers
They have been complaining about problems in the vicinity of Anděl or the location near the U Zvonu tram stop in Prague 5 for a long time. Locals are mainly bothered by the large concentration of drug users who gather around contact centers. One of the most affected places is around Mahenova Street, where locals have also documented cases where drug addicts lie directly on the street.
For this reason, a petition “Safe and Clean Prague 5” was created, which was signed by hundreds of people. “I am signing because I do not like this situation, I have a daughter of 10 years and have found a syringe several times“again, the sowed people shouted and she witnessed junkies again during the application,” she says at one of the first signatures of the petition on the Internet. Many others describe similar experiences, often writing that they do not feel completely safe outside.
They succeeded the municipality
In the end, the petition was also received at a meeting of the Prague City Council, where the mayor of Prague 5, Renáta Zajíčková (ODS), also came to defend it. Finally After a long discussion, the council adopted a resolution that should at least prepare a concept for solving the problem not only Prague 5.
This says drug policy should be addressed across the political spectrum and instructed the capital council to prepare a concept and schedule for the expansion of the network of addictology services by the middle of next year for the years 2022 to 2024 and by the end of June next year, a methodology for the deployment of these facilities was created, which takes into account their impact on the quality of life of the population and a possible negative impact on public space.
This should determine the maximum number of clients of these facilities or reach the distance from school facilities. “I believe that, based on the resolution of the City Council, they have finally broken down and the situation, especially of residents, seniors or families with children who have a long-term reduced quality of housing, will soon and especially improve here,” commented Mayor Zajíčková. In addition, the resolution requires the municipality to increase funding for the Municipal Police, cleaning and security in critical locations.
Reporting Institute
It is the limitation of the number of clients that could help the inhabitants of Mahenova Street, according to one of the initiators of the petition, up to 150 people come to the center there every day. But Prague 5 is not the only part of the city that complains about things. Together with the Mayor of Prague 2 Ondřej Hejma (STAN) and the Mayor of Prague 2 Jana Černochová (ODS), Zajíčková signed a declaration which requires a number of other things in addition to the decentralization of services for drug addicts. Among other things, cthey want people who repeatedly commit offenses to be given back to city districts and municipalities.
Residents around the U Zvonu tram stop in Prague 5 have repeatedly complained about a large number of drug users in the streets around the contact center in Mahenova Street. One of the initiators of the petition, Jan Vondráček, documented some of the cases he saw around his house.
Author: Jan Vondráček