Safety concerns discussed This changed since Niklas’ death in Bad Godesberg
Bad Godesberg · Since the death of Niklas Pöhler a year ago, there was a supposed to be a violence prevention concept to be brought in. What happened since? An appraisal.
About a year ago, 17-year-old Niklas Köhler was attacked so violently near the Rheinallee that he passed away a few days later. To prevent events like this, a round table was set up, and a city wide violence prevention concept was to be brought in. Also, the city council made already visible changes - by cutting back shrubs near the crime scene, the rondel at the Rheinallee. Other promised measures - like the restructuring of the Rheinallee or more street lighting - have yet to be realised, criticise some Bad Godesberg citizens. The violence prevention concept also wasn’t heard of since the major announcements at the end of September 2016.
The lord mayor disagrees. „I cannot comprehend the impression that nothing was implemented“, says Ashok Sridharan. „We are doing our very best and have achieved a few things already.“ The round table participants are happy with the work done and the results hitherto. „Beside the cutting back of the shrubs in 2016, the police and the city’s security team are patrolling the area more intensively since last year and other measures are already in preparation.“ Those things take time, according to the lord mayor. „Not everything can be implemented short-term. During the development of the violence prevention concept we did point out that this will be a multi-year-process.“
Since the immediate measures (which included other shrubs in green areas being cut back, like near the Sparkasse and later at the parking lot of the Deutsche Bahn) an improvement is noticeable, according to Shridharan. „On the city centre side of the Deutsche-Bahn-underpass near the Kinopolis an additional street lamp has been installed, so that there is more light for that side of the underpass.“ Currently, the lighting in that area is being checked to see if it can be improved further by also changing the light on the other side of the underpass for one with „a lower spotlight height“.
In the next few days, the Hubertinumshof, the square between Koblenzer and Moltkestraße „will also get an additional street lamp near the rondel“, announced Sridharan. Some changes will also happen at the Ria-Maternus-Platz.
As reported, that square will be redesigned, once the entire train station is renovated. Then, the area will also get a new lighting concept. Same for the Rheinallee/Rüngsdorfer Straße, said the lord mayor. The planning of the redesign and the lighting is underway. The Sparkasse is involved as owner of some areas, and some recommendations from the „violence avoidance survey“ are also being taken into account. Among other things, „the visibility and the lighting of several areas“ will be improved. And not only at the Rheinallee and the Rüngsdorfer Straße but particularly near the rondel. The money for the restructuring is available for 2018, said Sridharan.
The rondel at the Rheinallee is playing a political part again as well. The CDU is hoping to keep the memorial of Niklas Pöhler permanently visible - by designing the area accordingly. The social liberals are pushing for the lighting of the area, especially how it can be improved in the Kurpark. According to the city council, all the lamps there have been replaced by LED lights in 2015.
Proposals on how to improve the lighting in the whole of Bad Godesberg were already brought forward in April, as a reply to a request by the FDP. The Panoramapark needs twelve new lamps (cost: 60,000 Euro), the parking lot across the road from the Rüngsi needs six (cost: 33,000 Euro), in the Redoutenpark ten lamps for 55,000 Euro would suffice, according to the council. Will this will happen, is up to the politicians - they will decide on the measures.
(Original text: Ayla Jacob, Translation: Mareike Graepel)
