Luxembourg has allocated €2.3 million for social and security support
Michał Jakubowski, Unsplash
The Luxembourg City Council has approved important initiatives in the field of social support and security. Firstly, it allocated funds to increase the staff of the "By Your Side" ("A Vos Côtés") service, which assists the homeless and vulnerable groups. Secondly, it decided to install 67 new CCTV cameras in the neighbourhood of Bonnevoie, a politically controversial area.
The By Your Side service, founded in December 2020, started out just in the station area (Gare) but has since expanded to Bonnevois and Uptown. Council has now voted unanimously to fund four new officers, increasing the number to 26. This will increase their presence on the streets and allow them to start working earlier hours.
One of the main aims of the service is to help homeless people and those blocking the entrances to shops, making it difficult for them to operate. The council has also recognised the need to expand the Para-Chute drop-in centre near the station, which will now open an hour earlier. However, due to space constraints, the authority is considering looking for a new building.
In addition, it was decided to establish a social centre for homeless people with mental disorders in the Hamm district. The facility will have 8 beds and its staff will be shared between the city and the Ministry of Health: the medical staff will be paid for by the ministry and the social education staff by the city. This project aims to provide temporary accommodation and support to give people a chance to start a new life.
It is estimated that around 60 homeless people in Luxembourg may suffer from mental illness, making this centre particularly relevant.
The second major initiative is the expansion of video surveillance in Bonnevois. Council approved the installation of 67 cameras as well as the expansion of video surveillance in the eastern part of the district.
However, the move has caused political controversy. François Benoy of the Green Party (Déi Gréng) expressed fears that CCTV would not solve the problem, but would only create the illusion of security and lead to the displacement of crime to other neighbourhoods. Gabriel Boisante of the Luxembourg Socialist Labour Party (LSAP) supported this position, noting that international studies do not confirm the significant impact of video cameras on crime rates.
Nevertheless, the authorities have approved funding for the project. The installation of cameras in Bonnevois will cost €2.3 million - for the first time from the Luxembourg city budget.
