Berlin’s Senate approved a citywide strategy on 10 November 2026 for more safety and cleanliness in public space and for less drug use and homelessness there. The strategy aims to make parks, squares and streets in all districts safer and cleaner and to help homeless people and people with addictions more quickly. It builds on a package of measures that had around 30 million euros available.

What the Senate decided

The strategy was adopted on a proposal from Ute Bonde, Senator for Mobility, Transport, Climate Protection and Environment. It was drawn up by the steering body of the Berlin security summit, which includes all districts, the Senate departments and the Senate Chancellery. It separates social and health support from the tasks of police and regulatory authorities, and both must be coordinated. Prevention is a task for all administrations involved. The strategy is organised in five fields of action.

What is planned

  • A coordination office will steer the work across Berlin and connect the parties involved.
  • The Senate and districts will collect and evaluate local data together. Cross-district monitoring is meant to show new hotspots early.
  • More low-threshold accommodation and care services will be created for homeless people and people with addictions, including safe consumption options. The state plans to provide property for this.
  • Police and justice will continue to target drug dealing with focused checks and more presence at affected locations, including the hotspot offender concept.
  • Regulatory authorities and social work providers will coordinate their operations more closely.

Cleaner parks and squares

Litter affects all Berlin districts, though to different degrees, so cleanliness and maintenance form a separate field of action. Enough staff and money are to be available for cleaning and maintaining district green spaces, especially where many people are out and about. Public squares are also to be used more again through activities and neighbourhood participation.

Background and funding

The Berlin security summit was set up in autumn 2023. For 2024 and 2025 it adopted a package of measures that districts and Senate departments carried out, with around 30 million euros available. The current two-year budget again provides almost 28 million euros. The measures combine city cleaning and health services with physical changes at affected locations, with regulatory authorities and police joining depending on the situation. The new strategy takes up these measures and expands them.