Luxembourg is not as safe as commonly believed
Ahmet Kurt, Unsplash
The Luxembourg authorities have stated that organised drug-related crime is a priority. During the summer of 2024 (July-September), police operations leading to 59 arrests of members of drug networks were carried out. However, of these cases, only one was pursued in court, raising questions about the correlation between police efforts and the effectiveness of justice.
There have been allegations in parliamentary debates that police are allegedly focusing on low-level drug offences to improve statistics. The authorities deny this, emphasising the targeting of large networks.
The main focus is on the most problematic areas such as the Gare, Bonnevoie and Ville-Haute. A pilot programme with increased patrols has been rolled out here. Residents and businesses are actively supporting the initiatives, noting an improvement in the atmosphere in neighbourhoods known for crime.
Luxembourg is following the EU trend of relying on police visibility and technological solutions. The problem of low efficiency of judicial processes in cases against organised crime is also characteristic of other European countries. However, the emergence of parliamentary enquiries indicates that the topic is of concern to the public and may require stronger measures or more detailed explanations from the authorities.
