“Office is not a field of activity for populism”: Neukölln’s mayor criticizes left-wing politician for allegations of stigmatization – Berlin

Sarah Nagel is to become the new city councilor for the regulatory office in Neukölln. Her party, the Left, nominated her for this post. The regional scientist is not yet in office, but she is already causing heated debates. The reason is this announcement: “We have long been calling for an end to the stigmatizing raids in shisha bars and Spätis. A work-up is necessary here. “

District Mayor Martin Hikel (SPD) sees it completely differently. He criticizes Nagel harshly. “Our joint operations are directed against organized crime, and there is that in Neukölln and in the whole city, whether individual parties want it or not,” he said. “Anyone who construes stigmatization across the board against our regulatory authorities such as the police, customs or public order office should go into a retreat with themselves before the election. Such an office is not a field of activity for populism. “

The police and the public order office, said Hikel further, went about their legal duties, “and with success”. Every member of a district office has to adhere to the legal mandate. “Nobody in Neukölln or Berlin has to worry about this: We will continue to pursue organized crime, and the successful operations against criminals will continue.”

The draft program for the counting community formed by the SPD and the Greens in Neukölln is also clear: “With joint operations, the district has made an important contribution to the fight against organized crime,” says the paper. “The district office continues to work actively with the police and public prosecutor’s office to support the fight against organized crime, including in the form of so-called criminal clan-based groups and their dominant appearance in public spaces.”

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Compliance with rules, it goes on to say, safeguards “our democratic system”. Organized crime is diametrically opposed to the democratic constitutional state. Money laundering, for example through illegal real estate trading or white-collar crime, extortion, exploitative prostitution, drug-related crime and violent attacks led to democratic principles being delegitimized. “We stand up against all forms of organized crime. The central coordination of questions of security and order has proven itself and will be continued in the district office. “

Internal administration: Investigations regardless of cultural affiliation

That is definitely on the previous line of Interior Senator Andreas Geisel (SPD). Martin Pallgen, spokesman for the Senate’s internal administration, also stated: “Police measures are generally directed against individual offenders or groups regardless of ethnic, cultural or family affiliation. We do not have any stakes against shisha bars. There is no clan liability and general suspicion for guests and other people. “

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But “the operations of the security authorities and other administrations, with all the necessary measures, are operations to fight crime. Tons of untaxed shisha tobacco, the confiscation of black money or violations of the Youth Protection Act or fire protection ordinances speak for themselves. “

“The aim of the controls is to prevent money laundering”

The aim of the control operations is, in addition to the detection or prevention of illegal business areas and money laundering activities, to gain structural knowledge for the fight against organized crime. Experience shows “that individual businesses or localities also serve as meeting points for people who are assigned to the criminal milieu”.

Shisha bars and so-called Spätis represent only a sub-area, the controls affect a wide variety of businesses. “The high number of legal violations found shows that organized crime can only be effectively combated by maintaining control pressure and consistently punishing even minor violations,” said Pallgen.

Harsh criticism from police union

Stephan Kelm, deputy state chairman of the police union, also criticized Sarah Nagel harshly. “When district politicians lay stones in the street somewhere or reject search measures from a purely ideological and not constitutional point of view, they act undemocratically and abuse their electoral office,” he said.

“We have always said that it takes years of joint effort to fight the issue of clan crime in a sustainable manner. Joint joint operations, the constant presence of the authorities involved and political backing to fight organized crime are essential elements. “

As district chairman of the CDU Neukölln, Falko Liecke declared that he considered the “transfer of the regulatory office to a city councilor of the left to be completely counterproductive in the fight against all forms of clan crime in Neukölln”. He expects a “thoroughly ideology-driven administration that is not in the interests of the population”.