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News server Romea.cz. Everything about Roma in one place

Czech town tries to prevent panic and anti-Romani demonstrations

20 January 2014
6 minute read

Last Friday a meeting was organized by the town of Příbram which aimed to respond to a recent petition circulating there called "For a Safe Příbram" which was authored by local resident Lenka Synková and has been signed by several hundred people. When asked why she wrote the petition, Synková said: 

"I just want to draw the attention of the town councilors and the local police to the fact that people feel unsafe here, they are afraid to walk down the street in broad daylight because they might be mugged. I know that many people conisder this type of crime to be the problem of minorities, which in my view it is not. Muggings or criminal activities in the Příbram area are not the sole province of Romani people. I don’t want to have anything to do with any of the calls for demonstrations that have turned up in the media. I just wanted to bring the situation to the attention of the town council and the police."   

Be that as it may, other activities and texts related to the petition are now making the rounds which unequivocally ascribe the blame for crime in Příbram to the Romani minority in particular. The town leadership responded by organizing last Friday’s meeting and issuing an official press release which clarifies that the facts of the matter actually refute citizens’ claims that most crime is being committed by Romani people; news server Romea.cz publishes that statement below in full translation:

Official press release from the town of Příbram on safety in the town

In response to a recent (solved) series of robberies and thefts, as well as to the dissatisfaction of citizens expressed in the "Petition for a Safe Příbram", the town of Příbram, in cooperation with the Regional Roma Coordinator, Cyril Koky, convened a round table of experts on the topic of peaceful, safe coexistence between citizens and minorities in the town on 17 January. The meeting was attended by Vice-Mayor Václav Černý, Mgr. Cyril Koky (Regional Authority), Mgr. Robert Dikan (head of the Department of Health and Social Affairs, Příbram Town Hall), JUDr. Jaroslava Vodičková (commander of the Příbram Municipal Police), Bc. Ladislav Hadrbolec (crime prevention manager,Příbram Municipal Police), First Lieutenant Bc. Michal Volf (head of the Příbram District Department of the Police of the Czech Republic), JUDr. Pavel Čámský (Romani Coordinator), Eduard Růžička (Romani citizens’ club Maro), Milan Greineder (Office of the Government of the Czech Republic), Mgr. Filip Pospíšil, PhD (Office of the Government of the Czech Republic).

The meeting discussed the fact that the security situation in the town of Příbram is not dramatic, as it does not exceed the level of the kinds of problems being addressed by other towns throughout the Czech Republic. On the contrary, compared to the experiences of other towns, problems in the area of civil coexistence, crime, or other situations that negatively affect citizens are resolved in Příbram immediately.   

The Police of the Czech Republic responded to the series of robberies committed at the start of January with measures that were maximally effective and that led to the detention on 13 January 2014 of the perpetrator whose criminal behavior has incited so much unsubstantiated rumor and speculation. The perpetrator is a 22-year-old man from the Příbram area who is of Czech nationality and has confessed to having committed all five crimes as well as another crime perpetrated during that same time that was never reported to the Police of the Czech Republic.

In November and December of last year, the police received reports of four similar cases of thefts with similar scenarios. Those cases were also perpetrated by the man who has been arrested, and he has confessed to committing two others which were never reported to the police during that time.

The Police of the Czech Republic is therefore calling on other victims to contact the Police of the Czech Republic either in person or by calling 724 128 090 or emergency line 158. The Police of the Czech Republic has stated that these cases of crime in our town are not connected either with the Romani minority or with any so-called "troubled localities". 

Other data and findings available to the police unequivocally demonstrate that there is no rise in crime underway in the town of Příbram and that there also has not been a rise in crime in connection with the prisoners’ amnesty announced by the President of the Republic. The municipal police pointed out, in connection with the negative media campaign being carried out by some citizens demanding the enhancement of police patrols in certain areas of the town, that the police have already made it possible for citizens to submit suggestions electronically on how to improve the work of the police, as well as concerning possible threats.  

By completing a form entitled "Questions and Answers for the Municipal Police" online at http://pribram-city.cz/ , it is possible to  provide suggestions which the leadership of the Municipal Police will specifically respond to within a brief period of time. Citizens can also provide their suggestions in person at Municipal Police stations or to the appropriate neighborhood officers who are closest to solving the problems of citizens in that area.    

Citizens can raise any problems they notice or that personally concern them through these avenues. Citizens should know that the town of Příbram, in cooperation with other agencies, has intensively concerned itself for several years not only with the question of citizens’ safety, but has also actively participated in addressing social problems, including the prevention of crime. 

This activity has resulted in the successful implementation of projects in the areas of crime prevention and the accessibility of social services. The crime prevention manager of the Příbram Municipal Police is currently designing the Crime Prevention Program for 2014 to further improve safety.

Should the Interior Ministry and Regional Authority approve the program, it will include the implementation of other projects in the field of social prevention. Two will follow up on our successful programs from previous years (the "Sharing" and "Summer Vacation" programs for children with specific problems), and two new projects will focus on interventions in high-risk localities, including the maximum elimination of social exclusion.   

The town is also planning to employ two crime prevention assistants with the Municipal Police; the new projects will be submitted for implementation by 14 February 2014. Citizens will be informed about all of the Municipal Crime Prevention Program projects for 2014 through the website of the town of Příbram and through the press.

The current situation in the town of Příbram is not being described objectively by some citizens and, indirectly, it is not being described objectively by the media, who are either incapable of verifying, don’t know how to verify or don’t want to verify the facts presented here from the relevant sources. The negative campaign underway is not helping the security situation – on the contrary, it risks inciting civil intolerance and extremism.   

The town of Příbram completely distances itself from such activities and is aware that the regular citizens of our town have no interest in conflicts with minorities, in public unrest, etc., and want to collaborate on and undertake even more effective measures in the areas of civil coexistence, crime, and social issues. That is why last year the town applied to the Office of the Government of the Czech Republic to become a partner of the Czech Government Agency for Social Inclusion.   

Our application is currently being reviewed by the Office of the Government and, should it be approved, cooperation will be begin on 1 July. The Agency will provide the town with expertise and project counseling and will share examples of good practice from other towns with the leadership. 

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