The capital's municipal executive sees the results as a confirmation of its decision to hire a private security firm. According to the survey, eight in ten people stated that decisions needed to be taken urgently to improve security in Quartier de la Gare.
Between 15 and 19 February, over 500 people were asked four questions. Among the participants were residents of Quartier de la Gare, but also people who work there as well as business people.
Six in ten people stated that the sense of security in the neighbourhood was "bad" or "very bad". Four in ten people explained that they had been in at least one concrete situation in the past months, during which they did not feel safe. However, in the eyes of Luxembourg City mayor Lydie Polfer, the answers to the fourth question ultimately back up the municipality's decision to hire a private security firm.
68%, i.e. over two-thirds of all participants, think that the presence of the private security personnel had improved the sense of security.
Polfer stressed that the municipal executive planned from the very beginning to ask the capital's residents for feedback. However, since it is currently impossible to organise a big town hall meeting, the municipality decided to go with a survey instead.
The mayor added that the municipality will continue its efforts to improve its residents' sense of security, but at the same time, these efforts alone were not enough to solve the problem.
Polfer reiterated that her municipality is willing to do everything in its power to mitigate the problem, but the issue could only be resolved for good if the police, the justice system, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the National Health Directorate did their parts too.
Potential solutions are also currently being discussed in a task force with representatives of multiple different ministries. While the capital eagerly awaits the results, Polfer once again stressed that they simply could not wait any longer and had been forced to act.
