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AUGUST 8, 2025 INSP Is begging a safety issue? BASTIAN PÜTTER bodo bodo: As a sociologist at the University of Wuppertal researching in the field of civil protection, disaster relief and property security, it doesn’t strike me immediately that we should discuss begging and homelessness in city centers with you. Tim Lukas: (laughs) That’s true, but as a sociologist, my background is in the sociology of crime and criminology. This field doesn’t just deal with major emergencies as the terms “civil protection” and “disaster relief” might suggest; in the case of my research group we also focus on the issue of everyday crime, disorder and sense of security. bodo: To what extent do homeless or begging people affect safety? TL: First of all, safety is a basic human need. The actual risk of becoming a victim of crime is only very indirectly linked to the subjective feeling of safety. The latter is strongly characterized by personal experience, media and socio-political discourse. The subjectively perceived fears of criminal attacks and the objective threat posed by people experiencing homelessness are not generally in accordance with each other. bodo: In your research on dealing with marginalized social groups, you talk about securitization. What do you mean by this? TL: We are describing a process that reinterprets social problems as safety problems. Begging, including so-called aggressive begging, is first and foremost a symptom of social hardship, a culmination of extreme poverty, perhaps in conjunction with addiction or other problems. The classification of begging as a safety issue instead of an act to be met with compassion is indicative of the need for a change, shifting begging into the field of regulatory policy. bodo: The city of Dortmund [Germany] wants to regulate so-called “aggressive begging” more strictly and is modelling itself on Aachen’s concept, titled “Attractiveness and Safety.” This combines marketing ideas for the city with the securitization they  HUSTLE from page 11 people" — even though this is mine. Public Spaces & Culture: Ann Arbor has parks and libraries, but they can feel out of reach when you’re poor. New York, for all its chaos, has free concerts, open beaches, and library events that feel open to all. describe. What would be the alternative to fines and bans or larger-scale attempts to enforce begging bans? TL: Firstly, the best idea to reduce the number of people rough sleeping in public spaces is to provide housing. It really is time to transition experimental concepts such as Housing First from pilot phases to reality. We know from numerous evaluations that it is more efficient and much more promising to address the problems of those affected from within their own secure housing. Furthermore, in the context of the above question, this solution relieves the burden on public spaces. Besides, it is also important to take a closer look at city inhabitants’ tolerance thresholds. After all, the city has always been a place of unfamiliarity and part of that is difference, and perhaps even deviant behavior. Removing this would mean abolishing the fabric of the city as such. The public space was and is, among many other things, also a space for impositions, and some things we must simply put up with. bodo: You don’t win local elections by demanding tolerance, do you? TL: That is true. We have real crises in the centers of major cities, and, at the same time, we are seeing an increasing reluctance to accept such everyday irritations. The political response is then often actually the shift towards regulatory solutions as mentioned. But herein does lie opportunity. For city centers broadly speaking, the proposals that are put forward often from the conservative viewpoint are neither expedient nor sustainable. As a result of this attention, real thought is, however, being given to solutions. Dortmund has long focussed on suppression, and in essence, these approaches have only exacerbated the problems. Debates are now emerging about progressive concepts such as the Zurich model for addiction support or alternatives, such as specific areas for people experiencing homelessness and addiction. However, it must also be said that the displacement of vulnerable groups from public spaces is generally not applauded beyond the immediate neighborhood. Cleanliness: Ann Arbor is spotless. New York, not so much. Trash, rats and decay are just part of the background. But beauty shines through — sometimes literally in the form of art on a subway wall or a stranger offering a warm coat. Living homeless in America is not just about being without a home, it’s bodo: In Dortmund, this does exist, but great efforts are being made to move the drug consumption area out of the city centre. In addition, measures taken by the municipality against people experiencing homelessness and addiction have increased. TL: Yes, there is this coexistence. The morning wakeups for people sleeping rough in the city centre as well as ban procedures certainly represent this restrictive side, which is traditionally strong in Dortmund. On the other hand, innovative strides have been taken in the creation of a staff structure that is unique to Germany (as far as I know), which we are otherwise only familiar with from major events. The “Public Order and City Life” special task force brings together offices, authorities and social organisations as a structure enabling coordinated action and the integration of different perspectives. With regards to the demand for the relocation of support centers, this is certainly apparent in Dortmund, amongst other cities. Opponents of these facilities are active in their local areas as well as further afield at planned alternative locations. In Dortmund, we saw this in practice where a large demonstration took place at a proposed location for a drug consumption centre. bodo: Perhaps it is a question of power and not just location? One of the main drivers for restrictive measures against socially marginalised groups in Dortmund’s city centre is the retail industry. TL: Yes, this is something we also see in other cities. Commercial and retail interest groups act as “moral entrepreneurs,” as criminological research calls them. They use their networks in politics and the local media to publicize their demands and, in doing so, drive the shift in discourse towards securitization with the aim of minimizing the visibility of certain social problems. But I do also see a change in thinking here, as well as in city marketing. There is now a growing realization that social problems cannot be tackled by policing and regulation alone. Openness to concepts such as harm reduction are on the rise, as well as the realization about being without protection, structure, or even a future that feels possible. But each city gave me different tools to fight that. Ann Arbor gave me tenderness, introspection and a sense of community. New York gave me movement, opportunity and raw survival. Neither city is perfect. Both have that addiction cannot be combated by suppression alone. bodo: When talking about safety and public space, the focus of marginalized social groups is usually only as triggers and the object of regulatory measures. The tide is changing in terms of this perspective. TL: In two research projects in Düsseldorf and Cologne, we analyzed the fears of people experiencing homelessness and addiction. The results showed that criminalization and control create a high degree of instability among a demographic whose living conditions are already characterized by existential fears. As those affected are dependent on the infrastructure of city centers, their displacement from public spaces contradicts their often even greater need for protection. Safety is just as essential for those affected by homelessness and therefore meaningful discourse on safety must not only include the middle class of mainstream society. I was shocked by the extent of the humiliation, attacks and thefts reported to us by people experiencing homelessness. This perspective also shows the importance of alternative spaces created for rough sleepers. bodo: Critics would argue that it cannot be about making the city “homeless-friendly” on its own. TL: Creating such provisions is something that also helps city centers as a whole by means of improving quality of life, creating more greenery and more seating. Where city centre areas are widely and diversely used, visible poverty is just one aspect. A good illustration of this was during a Future workshop on the Wuppertal railway station area. Here, safety was mentioned as an important wish, and so we filled a flipchart with typical ideas for this: video surveillance, curfews, alcohol bans, more police, more regulation. The participants soon agreed that this would create a total dead zone, and from there, they developed ideas for diverse utilization, including the alternative spaces mentioned above. I think that’s a real model! Translated from German by Naomi Bruce. Courtesy of bodo / INSP.ngo deeply flawed systems, and in both, the burden of homelessness is carried by those least equipped to bear it. But each also holds lessons in humanity— some bitter, some beautiful. To anyone reading this: homelessness is not just a statistic. It’s a person. It’s me. @pedrocamposbrazil on Instagram GROUNDCOVER NEWS 13

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