Overview
- The Hamburg Senat announced Friday that it will widen the existing alcohol-consumption ban from the Hauptbahnhof into much of St. Georg, with the rule due to start around 1 August and run for an initial year.
- Under the new zone people may carry unopened alcoholic drinks but may not drink them in public and administrative fines will apply, with reports citing €40 for a first offense and up to €200 for repeat violations.
- Enforcement will focus on individuals who repeatedly cause disorder, using the KOSTARS coordination office to speed returns of people without residence rights and a special prosecutorial approach for repeat offenders.
- The package adds five full-time street social worker posts and expands referral services for people with addiction and homelessness to combine social support with stepped-up policing.
- The announcement has already provoked political pushback from the CDU, which unveiled a rival ten-point plan, while the Senat points to earlier measures such as expanded camera coverage and Quattro patrols that it says cut crime and checks in the Hauptbahnhof area.