Litvínov - The town of Litvínov has been basking in the spotlight for some weeks now. As soon as the town hall authorities announced a so called "zero tolerance" policy, they have come up with a new plan how to grapple with the uneasy situation in the Janov housing estate.
A new integrated plan of development was presented Wednesday December 10 to the citizens of Litvínov in a public meeting.
However, eighty persons who came to the meeting held in one of the basic schools were not interested much in the integrated plan, they seemed eager to voice only one solution for the Janov problem: Move them out!
Deputy Mayor Martin Klika (Social Democrats) attempted to calm down the crowd by having promised next week the authorities would step up new measures.
"Next week we will demand owners of the houses in Janov move out four families," said Klika. "These are long-term dodgers. We are meeting a lawyer and see what we can do," he added.
But Dutch ambassador Jan Lucas van Hoorn who visited Litvínov Wednesday sees a problem with moving out the families. "This is not a solution," he said in an interview for Aktuálně.cz. "But I don´t want to be telling people what to do. We have similar problems [in the Netherlands]."
"Get them out!"
Mayor of Litvínov Milan Šťovíček concedes that the zero tolerance is only a short-term solution.
The long-term solution is proposed in the integrated plan of development.
"Without this plan we won't be able to get a major grant," mayor Šťovíček said. "If the council and Ministry approves the plan, we will be able to apply for up to CZK 5 billion together with other cities."
But people present at the meeting did not share the mayor's ethusiasm. „But that's too long!" they shouted almost unisono. "Common on, get them out!"
The people at the meeting also objected to the fact that the new integrated plan should help primarily the private owners of the houses in Janov. One of the inhabitants of Janov suggested to withdraw from the contract with the private company Haines that has been lately moving in "inadaptable" families.
Spying on one's neighbors
Mayor Šťovíček assured the people that the Haines firm promised not to move in any other troublesome families. Deputy mayor Klika said that the company has been providing the town hall information about the current tenants. "It is almost on the verge of breaking the law," said Klika.
He then asked the people in the room to gather information about their neighbors for the town hall too. "We need your help. We need to know about the new people moving in [illegally]," said Klika.
Not all people liked his approach, though. "Where do you get the mandate that police should get such information from us?" asked one of the present Janov dwellers. "It is traumatizing for us to do this."
The mayor countered that there is no other way. "It is an extraordinary situation and we need extraordinary measures," Šťovíček said. "We want to get rid of these who do not observe laws."
For that the mayor earned loud applause.
