Drug use on Leopoldplatz: round table planned

Symbolic image: Leopoldplatz underground station, Berlin Wedding

The increasing problems with drug use and drug addicts at Leopoldplatz in Wedding are now to be addressed more intensively by the Senate and the district.

"Predominantly harder drugs such as cocaine, heroin and crack are used there," Interior Senator Iris Spranger (SPD) told dpa after she had already visited the square as well as Görlitzer Park on Thursday.

Senator of the Interior: Leopoldplatz is a "social hotspot"

The consequences of social and societal causes would become visible there: Alcohol and drug consumption in public, neglect and impoverishment. In addition, there are conflicts between drug addicts, neighbours and business people, accompanied by crime. Leopoldplatz is a "social hotspot", said Spranger, comparable to similar places in Berlin and other cities.

Concern about increased crack use

Overall, the increased use of crack cocaine, a drug that is produced on the basis of cocaine, is fast-acting and addictive, is a cause for concern in Berlin. Spranger explained that feedback from addiction help centres, addicts and the police point to the spread of crack cocaine use. The phenomenon also exists in other large cities such as Frankfurt am Main, Hamburg, Hanover and Bremen. The reasons are the availability of cocaine, the easy production process, the low price and the high addiction potential.

Round table with all those affected

For Leopoldplatz, a so-called round table with all those affected is now planned in order to find solutions, said Spranger. She said it was important to exchange ideas with the local people, to whom she had promised to look after safety. "The experience we had with this in the Kottbusser Tor area was very positive - it helps." The police alone cannot solve the problems, she said; the other actors are also called upon, such as the district with social work and construction measures in the squares. "If we think all this together, bring it all together and keep at it consistently, it would be a big step forward. That's why I'm also counting on the security summit next week." On law enforcement, Spranger again called for better ways to seize illegal assets.