Contact center Prague 5: It will be replaced by a police station
The municipality has long criticized the presence of a large number of drug addicts in the area, according to the mayor of Prague 5 Renáta Zajíčková (ODS) to the frequent and urgent complaints of the local residents, it was not possible to find a solution other than dismissal. The mayor added that she considers it essential to improve the space and security, which should have been planned for the establishment of police services. The closest one is now available for the residents of Košíř in Stodůlky, she said.
Work has already begun on the cultivation of public space for residents around Mahenova street. “The reconstructed U Zvonu public transport stop is in operation and the Technical Administration of Communications is preparing a study on the revitalization of the small square in its neighborhood. It should be ready within two years,” explained Jan Panenka, chairman of the Prague 5 Municipal Transport Committee (ODS).
Zajíčková repeated that two of the three contact centers for drug addicts are in Prague 5, where there is also a substitution treatment office. According to her, the municipality must have a similar device spread throughout the metropolis, so that Prague 5 is no longer disproportionately burdened. The mayor added that the move is not related to the work of the Progressive organization, which she respects. “Our decision is not against him. We want to use it to stir up the capital so that it finally starts to act,” she stated.
The municipality criticizes the move
Prague councilor Milena Johnová (Praha Sobě) previously criticized the announcement. “The pre-election timing of Progressive’s contract termination I find it extremely unfortunate. Before the elections, the politician does not want to address unpopular topics, they are afraid of losing electoral preferences. After the elections, it will be difficult to deal with politics because they will be busy building coalitions,” she said some time ago, adding that for that reason she is asking Zajíčková to extend the new term by a year. She has now rejected this option. “Therefore, we will certainly not back down from our decision to terminate our Progressive Center and we are convinced that it is the right one,” she shared.
Prague 5’s move was also criticized by the Czech Streetwork Association, which also called on the town hall to extended the contract until other premises are found for the center. The national anti-drug coordinator, Jindřich Vobořil, also provided a similar response, who also drew attention to the reluctance of the Prague city districts to accommodate the municipality and find spaces for a better distribution of contact centers in the territory of the metropolis.
According to an analysis prepared this spring by the Addiction Clinic of the 1st Faculty of Medicine of Charles University and the General University Hospital in Prague, in 2021 there were about 7,000 people who were clients of contact centers in Prague, compared to about 6,000 a year earlier. Another roughly 10,000 people suffering last year in Prague, the addiction services used outreach programs, outpatient and similar addiction services. According to experts, up to a fifth of all problem drug users in the country are in Prague, and a large part of them belong to the so-called mobile users who do not live in the metropolis.
Contact center in Mahenova Street.
Author: Google Street View