Czech Republic: Longterm Romani residents complain about Romani newcomers

News server iDNES.cz reports that the town hall of Jirkov (Chomutov district) is addressing a problem with newcomers living in commercially rented apartments. The new tenants are often Romani and are being complained about by other Romani people who have lived in the town for decades.

"They are making a mess here and we are paying the price because everyone else tars us with the same brush. Our children are afraid to walk down the street," says Roman, a longterm Romani resident of Jirkov.  

He is one of a dozen longterm Romani residents who have offered their assistance to the town with the issue. They work and their children are studying at high school, but out of concern for their safety they didn’t want to give their whole names.

"I fixed up my apartment, turned the basement into a gym, and they stole everything that was iron from it. Romani people robbing other Roma, can you understand it?" complains longterm resident Milan, who ultimately sold his property and moved into a municipally-owned unit, which he rents.

"We are able to guard municipally-owned buildings and maintain order in them. We have administrators there and we can send police officers there. We don’t have such options in privately-owned buildings. That’s why we welcome this eventual cooperation with decent Roma," Vice-Mayor of Jirkov Dana Jurštaková says.

Town hall considering what to do with the offer

The longterm Romani residents are proposing the creation of voluntary patrols, mainly to monitor troubled streets in the Nové Ervěnice quarter. The group would not, however, be a militia, as the position of such groups is complicated.