2nd protection zone planned

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Since mid-July, almost half a kilo of cocaine and cannabis has been seized in the Volksgarten.(Bild: Juergen Fuchs)

The Volksgarten is one of the drug hotspots in Graz. Following complaints from local residents, it was declared a protection zone in July. The results so far have been impressive. But the problem has shifted to the nearby Metahofpark. Now things are getting serious there. 

It was massive complaints from local residents and exploding numbers of drug offenses that forced the police to take action in the summer: the authorities ordered the imposition of a protection zone in Graz's Volksgarten. "It's specifically about protecting minors, i.e. people under the age of 18," emphasizes Brigadier Thomas Heiland, the Graz city police commander. "Effective action can be taken against dangerous individuals."

Even before the ordinance, the police density in the Volksgarten was already very high. "Essentially, we have remained at the same high level," says Heiland, "but with the additional legal options offered by the protection zone." (See also the info box below.)