The city council wants to prepare an evaluation of the hazard prevention ordinance
The Darmstadt city council has been discussing future regulations regarding aggressive begging in the city center.
The background is the meeting of the city council on May 7, 2026. Several motions and amendments to the hazard prevention ordinance were adopted there, which, according to the city administration, are partly contradictory to each other.
Contradictory decisions create a need for clarification
According to Paul Georg Wandrey, head of the public order department, it was decided, on the one hand, to allow actively approaching people while begging again.
At the same time, however, the city council also decided to evaluate the existing ban until the end of the second quarter of 2027.
“Due to the contradictory resolution passed in the city council on May 7, 2026, no clear mandate was given to the city council and the city administration,” Wandrey explains.
The city believes an evaluation is only possible with an existing ban
According to the city administration, a reliable assessment of the current regulations can only be made if the ban on aggressive begging remains in place for the time being.
Wandrey explains: “In order to obtain a sound basis for a decision on the question of prohibiting offensive begging, this prohibition must therefore first remain in place and be evaluated.”
The city also argues that legally sound checks by the municipal police are only possible with a clearly defined prohibition. Terms like "strong" or "persistent," on the other hand, are more dependent on subjective assessments.
Report planned until 2027
According to the resolution, the evaluation should take into account the perspectives of different groups.
This includes, among others, law enforcement, social workers, business owners and visitors to the city center.
The results are to be presented to the city council by the end of the second quarter of 2027 and will then serve as a basis for further political consultations.
(DARMSTADT – RED/PSD/stip)
