Anyone who has something to do in the New Town Hall has had to take some time since June of last year. The reason: Access is only possible via the security gates. An initial assessment now suggests that this measure is in the interest of security.
Almost 120,000 citizens had to be “examined” at the entrance. The security staff discovered numerous prohibited items, according to a release. The list of “unauthorized finds” that the luggage scanners, metal detectors and search hand probes identified includes pocket knives, pepper spray, brass knuckles, kitchen knives, large scissors and even an axe.
“Sad Necessity”
The removal of weapons would confirm the sad necessity of the security gates, said city councilor Michael Raml. The safety of employees and citizens must be the top priority in the town hall. Mayor Klaus Luger also agrees. This is the only way the New Town Hall can be kept safe and accessible as a “place of gathering, openness and dialogue”. At the same time, they want to make access to the town hall as smooth but also as safe as possible, Luger continued.
Image: City of Linz
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Image: City of Linz
The locks are part of the city of Linz’s security concept. For nine months, visitors to the New Town Hall have only been able to enter and leave the building via the main entrance. The trigger for the measure was, as is well known, increasing reports of the removal of dangerous items that citizens had “in their luggage” when they went to the authorities, and sometimes violent incidents, for example in the context of the protests by opponents of the Corona measures.
