The City of is cutting funding for mobile awareness teams starting in 2027, ending a five-year initiative at popular meeting points. Vice Mayor Bettina Emmerling's office cited a tense budget situation for the 246,000-euro reduction in support.
The association AwA* – Kollektiv für Awareness-Arbeit, which has run the project since 2021, was notified on October 15, 2026. The cut will result in job losses for three permanent and 21 seasonal employees who managed over 16,800 conversations this year.
Data shows rising demand, with sexualized violence incidents increasing from 18 in 2025 to 50 in 2026. As racist and queer-hostile attacks also rise, AwA* has launched a petition titled Gewaltschutz stärken statt kürzen to protect these vital safety services.