Zossen's mayor tackles juvenile delinquency.

Zossen's Mayor Addresses Juvenile Aggression

The act of attempting to assassinate a leading Social Democratic Party (SPD) candidate in Saxony, Matthias Ecke, has led to the topic of violence being widely discussed. Another mayor, from the town of Zossen in eastern Germany, is also facing similar issues. On the talk show "Markus Lanz" on ZDF, she describes her experiences and solutions to these issues.

Located in Brandenburg, just under an hour away from Berlin, Zossen is a small town nearing its election for a new state parliament. The town is currently under the governance of an FDP mayor, Wiebke Sahin-Schwarzweller. Like many other local authorities, Zossen faces strained budgets, an increasing number of refugees, and disgruntled citizens. The mayor is accustomed to dealing with violence, as she professes on the program.

A few weeks earlier, a disturbing incident occurred in Dresden: a woman with the intention of posting Green Party election propaganda was accosted by a group of violent adults, who threatened her with sexually explicit language and physical violence. "This is AfD territory" was clearly heard. Markus Lanz shared the footage on his show. "My 2019 campaign wasn't much different," admits Sahin-Schwarzweller. "The videos we're watching now are chilling, and of course they pose a threat to democracy." However, the situation in Zossen has improved in some ways, according to the mayor.

Zossen houses a population of 22,000 inhabitants, including a main reception center for asylum seekers. This single facility can process up to 1,500 people and currently accommodates close to 1,100 refugees. However, the mayor warns that the town is struggling to cope with the situation.

The previous government in Zossen, known as "Plan B," partly contributed to their predicament. This was an alliance of right-wing citizens and parties, not including the AfD. During their tenure, the trade tax rate was set at 200%. This was an astoundingly low figure. Consequently, for every euro they received, the city spent one euro and nine cents. Effectively, it was a money-losing enterprise for the town. Nonetheless, a lot of businesses were persuaded to establish themselves in Zossen. However, many of these firms were only registered on paper, making Zossen a popular destination for "letterbox companies."

By 2021, it was discovered that approximately 2,000 such firms were supposedly based in Zossen. In a two-story apartment building in a remote village street, the landlord claimed to have rented out spaces to around 200 different companies. The town became a magnet for shell companies, operating completely legally- the municipalities have the autonomy to set the trade tax rate.

The businesses felt grateful. To attract these companies, Zossen had some of the lowest trade tax rates in the country - only 7% until 2021. However, it came at a steep cost. The town council raised the tax rate, but they ended up in "budget protection," which is almost the same as being bankrupt. Therefore, the town is now attempting to recover the funds they had to refund to other localities due to the policies of the previous administration.

Sahin-Schwarzweller has campaigned for local politicians, but she hasn't personally experienced much violence as of late. Nevertheless, she is acquainted with the issue: at the end of 2021, an unidentified group of individuals blocked the chimney of a town council member, and there were constant squabbles during council meetings. This resulted in the police often needing to be deployed to ensure orderly meetings.

To rectify this, Sahin-Schwarzweller introduced consultation hours for aggrieved citizens. These sessions were well-attended, with many citizens just venting their frustrations. The mayor also pointed out that a major problem in Zossen was violence among youngsters. However, she claimed to have viable strategies to address this issue. "I'm convinced that identifying young people at an early stage and giving them some degree of responsibility- perhaps in a youth parliament- can foster their creativity."

Flourishing as a result of their initiatives, the town has begun to recover from its reputation as a "letterbox company haven." Additionally, the town authorities are cooperating with tax investigators to establish which firms had employees in Zossen and which did not.

Youth require practical assignments that will ready them for life's challenges and societal norms. This calls for an increase in the number of social educators, particularly in underprivileged communities, schools, and youth centers. Sahin-Schwarzweller, a local official, discloses that her upcoming initiative in Zossen involves constructing a multi-generational center where young people can enjoy youth facilities. Evidently, such projects result in a reduction of juvenile delinquency rates: "Our cities are experiencing a decrease in child and youth violence since we're focusing on more preventative measures".

Despite the steps being taken, there's a strong consensus among community leaders that there's still much to be accomplished in society's support to young people. These kids are our future, after all.