(haipo) – Residents of the Wadi Nisnas neighborhood in Haifa are complaining about the long-standing serious neglect of the public park at the entrance to the neighborhood. They claim that the place has become a hotbed of drug trafficking, vandalism and filth, and criminal activity continues there even late at night.
"We live in fear," one resident told the newspaper. "There is drug trafficking activity at night, young people throwing stones, and there was even a shooting incident at one of the neighbors after he filmed what was happening. It's impossible to sleep at night."
According to the residents, repeated appeals to the municipality about the neglect and lack of supervision have not brought about any change on the ground. “We see children under 16 hanging around here at night, committing acts of vandalism, throwing stones, spraying gas, and drinking dangerous substances. In the end, they end up sleeping on the tarps that cover the garden,” one of them describes. “We asked them to install security cameras, but so far it hasn’t happened.”
“The garden has gone from being a community center to a hazard”
Other residents describe a daily reality of dirt, neglect and lack of maintenance. “The garden is neglected, full of dirt and dog feces,” says a resident of the street. “Instead of serving as a pleasant meeting place for children and families, it has become a nuisance and a safety hazard. There is no adequate lighting, no supervision, and it is simply sad to see where it has come to.”
Afraid to contact the police
The residents who spoke to us say that some are afraid to contact the police for fear of harm or revenge from those involved in the illegal activity. “We are asking for immediate intervention by the municipality and the police,” the residents say. “The place needs to be cleaned, cameras installed, and patrols increased at night. This doesn’t look like a place in Israel’s third largest city. We’re not asking for much, just basic security.”
The Haifa Municipality responded:
"The municipal supervision department will increase its patrols in the garden area and at the same time, the police, which is the authorized and exclusive body for law enforcement, will be contacted. The public garden is regularly maintained and cleaned daily. Recently, new vegetation was planted in the area that was destroyed as a result of an act of vandalism.
In addition, two of the three cameras installed at the site about three years ago were dismantled in an act of vandalism. The municipality used the cameras to identify two boys who committed the act and a complaint was filed against them with the police. In the meantime, the municipality ordered new cameras for the garden, which will be installed immediately upon receipt. As for the shade: it was dismantled, at the municipality's initiative, as is customary in all municipal gardens, for safety reasons in preparation for the winter.
It should be noted that the municipality's CEO, David Luria, conducted a tour of the neighborhood (about two weeks ago) with the managers of the municipality's executive departments, and directed a series of steps to improve the quality of life and the residents' sense of security.
Why don't you provide the list of drug trafficking addresses as a public service?
The situation is worse than what the article says.
Some dog owners are unwilling to pick up their dogs' feces.
There is no enforcement at all,
The entire area is always full of dog feces everywhere: path, sidewalk, building entrance, etc.
The residents are fed up with the municipality's lack of concern for all those responsible for it!!!
Millions are invested in things that are not in the best interest of the public at large, while at the same time, residents beg for attention to be paid to the hazards every day, and there is no one to talk to!!!
It's only a matter of time, hopefully it won't be too late.
The problem exists in other areas of the city.
What? Only in Wadi?
You laughed…
The phenomenon of serious crime begins at the southern and northern entrances to Haifa!! Halisa Hadar K. Shprinzak and the Shaar Aliya neighborhood