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City councilor Kotoucek: "Illegal graffiti damages the cityscape and the sense of security"
The CDU in Darmstadt is advocating for new measures to combat illegal graffiti in the city. The party states that it is pushing for the introduction of a reward system that would pay for information leading to the arrest of perpetrators. The approach taken by the city of Tübingen, where initial successes have already been achieved, serves as a model.
According to the CDU, illegal graffiti causes hundreds of thousands of euros in damage to public buildings in Darmstadt every year. Despite the availability of legal graffiti areas like Lincoln Wall , building facades, underpasses, and public facilities are repeatedly vandalized. CDU city councilor Ctirad Kotoucek emphasizes: "Illegal graffiti not only detracts from the cityscape but also undermines the sense of security among citizens."
According to the CDU, a reward system that offers a financial bonus for information leading to the arrest of perpetrators could make an effective contribution to curbing such damage. Experience in Tübingen has shown that the prospect of a reward significantly increases public participation in solving crimes. If such a model were to halve the damage caused by graffiti in Darmstadt, the CDU believes the expenditure on rewards would be more than justified.
At the same time, the party continues to advocate for preventative measures. Kotoucek points out that legal spaces for graffiti art already exist, such as the Lincoln Wall or the future noise barrier along the B26/Ostbahnhof. "There's no shortage of legal spaces. It's all the more incomprehensible that illegal graffiti continues to be sprayed," the city councilor stated.
The CDU has announced that it will make the issue of security and public order a key focus of its upcoming local election campaign. It argues that political and societal responses are needed to the increasing brutality and, in the party's view, the growing neglect of public spaces.
(Darmstadt - Red/CDU)
