Expanding Services: Dortmund Now Aids Homeless and Overweight Individuals, According to Polish Police Report
In the heart of Dortmund, a city striving for a cleaner, safer, and more attractive city centre, a series of initiatives have been put into motion. One of these initiatives is the establishment of a Night Café at Schwanenwall 42, which provides free food, drinks, hygiene facilities, and support for adult drug addicts without housing or access to an emergency shelter during the night.
The Night Café, which started operations on August 20, is currently open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 10 pm to 6 am, with plans to extend its operation to every day once more staff is available.
The city's commitment to addressing the spread of drug use and its associated issues can be traced back to the creation of the Special Task Force "Order and City Life" in summer 2023. Since then, the task force, in collaboration with the city, has deployed additional personnel in the city centre and the North district since July 2023.
The efforts of the task force have yielded positive results. From January to July 2025, a total of 2,124 criminal proceedings and 2,145 administrative offense proceedings have been initiated. Notably, the number of drug-related offenses in the central district during the same period has decreased by 26.6%, while knife-related offenses have seen an 8.9% drop compared to the previous year.
To further support the city's homeless population, a new sleeping and stay facility is being constructed near the train station, and a new low-threshold overnight accommodation option will open at Treibstraße above the main train station in September 2025, offering accommodation for up to 30 people.
Moreover, the health department has been operating a relief area at Grafenhof / corner Martinstraße since early February 2025, significantly reducing conflicts, disturbances, or complaints in the neighbourhood.
In addition to these initiatives, the city of Dortmund plans to temporarily relieve the drug consumption area by adding a second location at Rheinische Straße 111, scheduled to start in December 2025 after renovation work. The new Reliefort at Rheinische Straße 111 in Dortmund will open on October 2, 2025.
The police in Dortmund have also been instrumental in maintaining order. Since April 2024, 179 individuals have been subject to knife-carrying bans. In 44 cases, violations have been punished with a €250 fine. Weapons, including knives, firearms, incapacitants, or cash, have been secured or seized 1,613 times, totaling €170,958.
As of July 2025, a total of 47,646 personnel hours have been deployed in 622 targeted operations in the city centre and the North district. The police state that there are no pronounced hotspots left in the city area.
In 138 cases, individuals with valid ban orders were controlled without any violations being detected. This demonstrates the effectiveness of the measures taken by the city and the police in maintaining a safe and orderly city centre.
The goal of these initiatives is clear: to create an attractive, clean, and safe city centre that offers all citizens a high quality of life. And with the continued collaboration between the city and the police, Dortmund is well on its way to achieving this goal.
