Two knife attacks, one death! The residents of Lehen want more police on site. Now the director of Salzburg is responding.
Fear? Manfred Munz doesn’t have that – at least not while it’s light. “I don’t go to Lehener Park at night, I prefer to stay on the illuminated main street,” says the longtime resident of the Lehen district. When asked about the bloody knife attacks in recent days, he said: “Night patrols by police would be important. That could reverse the situation.”
Desire for more controls
The Lehen veteran is not alone in this desire for more controls – this becomes clear during a local “Krone” inspection. “When it gets dark, I have a bad feeling and I avoid the area,” says Eveline Breid.
Two bloody knife attacks
As a reminder, last week two bloody knife attacks took place within moments. First, a group of nearly fifteen Syrians attacked each other in Lehener Park. One person suffered life-threatening injuries, two others suffered lacerations. Shortly afterwards, a Somali (27) stabbed a fellow countryman in the neighboring Schießstattstrasse. The victim (34) did not survive the attack.
Salzburg Mayor Harald Preuner (ÖVP) invited people to a crisis summit with police and social workers on Monday. The result of the almost forty-minute conversation: the executive, together with employees of the city’s public order bureau, will strengthen controls in Lehen in the future.
For the police, Lehen is not a refuge from violence
Bernhard Rausch, director of the Salzburg state police, promises: “We are also civilians and undercover.” At the same time, he states that the area around Lehener Park is not a hotbed of violence despite recent bloody acts. In the past five years there have been twenty crimes and seventeen drug-related incidents. “We continue to take residents’ concerns seriously,” Rausch said.
The investigation into the two bloody crimes continues. The stabber from Somalia is now in custody. He probably argued with his compatriot in an apartment in Lehen. The action moved to the streets – and escalated.
Syrians argued at the train station and then went to the park
The situation surrounding the second act of violence is less clear. According to investigators, two Syrians got into an argument near the train station. They were looking for reinforcements. Together we went partly on foot, partly by taxi and car towards Lehen. A Syrian then allegedly attacked three men with a knife.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
