The entrance gate at the Linz regional court was in full swing in 2023: each of the 130,558 people who came to a court hearing or had other appointments in the building last year was checked by security forces when they entered – almost twice as many as in 2022 (70,600). . The court cannot explain the increased interest.
However, the anger over the controls among visitors continues unabated, as Monika Gruber, Vice President of the Regional Court, described at a press conference on Monday: “People fly on holiday without complaint and accept everything, but the control we have is huge Theme.”
“Don’t do this to seduce people”
The complaints range from “time-consuming” to “invasive”. “If the security service is overwhelmed, Monika Gruber, as security officer, sometimes has to go down and speak clearly,” says President Amalia Berger-Lehner. The question that often needs to be answered is whether control is really necessary. “We’re not doing this because we want to sectize people, but rather because we want to ensure the safety of our employees and visitors,” emphasizes Gruber.
In addition, a look at the numbers in the safety report shows the need for control. “I’m always amazed at what we take from people at the entrance,” says the security officer. Everything happens: Seven handguns, two prohibited weapons (electric stun guns and a ballpoint pen with a hidden knife), 1,094 knives and 4,784 objects that might be used as weapons were confiscated from visitors at the Linz regional court last year. “Last week a man wanted to enter the building with 120 disposable syringes, around ten of them covered in blood,” says Gruber.
Took drugs twice in one day
As long as the weapons are “not prohibited,” visitors will get the items back. So did the woman who had a hoe with her. “We suspect that it was a homeless person who had all her belongings with her,” says Gruber.
However, not only weapons were found among visitors to the regional court in 2023, but also narcotic drugs in 38 cases. “One witness even did it twice in one day. He left the house and when he entered he had marijuana with him once more,” says the vice president.
The executive branch was necessary to mediate 51 times and rescue services had to treat visitors with, for example, circulatory problems. And a lady apparently wanted to go into the state courthouse too quickly, hit the glass of the entrance gate and injured her nose.
Author
Daniel Gruber
Editor Upper Austria
Daniel Gruber
