Drug Prohibition Planned on Rhintorstrasse: A New Kind of Establishment to Emerge - Illicit Substance Usage to Be Banned
A thorny matter, as Thomas Kaumanns, CDU, member of the municipal committee for youth welfare, school, social affairs, and integration, acknowledges: "Close proximity to playgrounds, kindergartens, schools, various shops, a cinema, and a parking garage surround the proposed location. We're demanding a security strategy for the area to prevent the relocation of drug scenes there, with our top priority being the protection of children and young people."
Benjamin Jospehs, head of press and public relations at the Rhein-Kreis Neuss, clarifies that "the contact café is an accessible facility for those in need, offering a place to stay, eat, do laundry, and seek counseling services. The use of illegal substances is strictly forbidden there. Moreover, drug consumption rooms are off the table."
Initially, this empathetic space will be open five days a week, for four hours each day. As Jospehs explains, "we don't anticipate the drug scene moving due to the prohibition of drug use on the premises." The area will be visibly accessible, making it less appealing to dealers thanks to staff presence. Violations of rules, such as drug consumption or dealing, will be addressed with consequences such as bans from premises, and pursued further by law enforcement. The aim is to disperse the drug scene through the contact café's presence.
Marc Bohn, press spokesman for the city of Neuss, shares that the area is frequented by homeless individuals and marginalized groups, whom the Rhein-Kreis Neuss and the city of Neuss will offer various and targeted support services. Bohn assures that dispersing this scene is logically well-intentioned.
The "contact café" intends to be a safe haven and offer vital support to affected individuals. In addition to comprehensive hygienic facilities, food and drink distribution, counseling services, and mediation for further support resources, plans include amenities like laundry facilities. Caritas Sozialdienste Rhein-Kreis Neuss GmbH, experienced in this line of work, will manage the contact café's operation.
After an extensive search involving several collaborators (Social Welfare Office of the City of Neuss, Youth Welfare Office of the City of Neuss, Citizen and Ordnance Office of the City of Neuss, Police Headquarters, Health Department of the Rhein-Kreis Neuss), Rheintorstraße 30 was chosen as the destination. The property is city-owned; the contact café will initially be housed in a container building.
In response to concerns about security, Jospehs reminds us that the responsible authorities maintain constant communication with the Rhein-Kreis Neuss Police Headquarters, monitoring developments on-site and in the surrounding area to coordinate appropriate measures.
Meanwhile, Michael Klinkicht, leader of the Neuss Now! faction, warns, "Residents' safety must be the top priority! After at most a year, we'll reevaluate whether the concept has proved effective or if we'll need to reconsider the location's continued existence." The future of the contact café at Rheintorstraße remains uncertain. Rolf Retzlaff
- The proposed location for the contact café, even though surrounded by facilities frequently visited by children and young people, is intended to be a safe haven also focusing on mental health, offering support services for general news and health-and-wellness, with the strict prohibition of illegal substances.
- In an attempt to disperse drug scenes, the contact café will provide amenities such as laundry facilities, food and drink distribution, and counseling services, working closely with the Rhein-Kreis Neuss Police Headquarters for security measures.
- Despite the contact café's intentions to offer help to marginalized groups, concerns about crime and justice persist, with politician Michael Klinkicht advocating for a re-evaluation of the café's location within a year to ensure the priority of residents' safety and the general well-being of the community.
