Trouble at Oberer Griesfeld: Young people apparently use a playground as a meeting place to smoke, listen to music and riot. Residents' windshield wipers were torn off, cars smeared. Brooms are said to have been lit.
Bad Tölz - The coke bottle barely missed the kitchen window. Instead, it landed on Walter and Sabine Knof's terrace. The couple has lived in the Obere Griesfeld in Bad Tölz for many years and is certain that the bottle throwing on August 21 was an act of revenge.
Shortly before, Walter Knof had once again approached a group of young people who were unjustifiably staying in the private playground of residential complex numbers 8 to 30. As so often before, according to Knof, they had smoked, roared and the seesaw hit the floor with force. “Sometimes they throw skateboards into the trees or the swings over the beam,” says the 65-year-old. Sometimes it goes like this until late in the evening. The garbage is left lying around. And worse: "Residents who complain are threatened," says the 65-year-old.
The rubbish stays lying around: According to the residents, the young people often litter the entire playground.
© private
Walter Knof receives support from another resident, among others. She doesn't want to be mentioned by name - out of fear. “I'm afraid something will happen to me.” She called the police three times in late July and early August in the evenings because she could not sleep. She herself did not dare to confront the culprits. "Nobody says a peep because everyone knows how the young people react," says the woman with a view to other tenants and owners.
Patience after throwing the bottle at the end
Walter Knof, on the other hand, stated that he sought talks with the young people several times. "I talked to them sensibly," emphasizes Knof. The adolescents would also have shown themselves to be quite insightful. “An hour later, it started again.” After throwing the bottle, his patience is now at the end: Knof filed a complaint for attempted damage to property. A short time later, he turned to the police again: Strangers had torn off the rear window wiper of his car. Knof suspects the young people: A resident even saw two of them in the underground car park very close to his car.
According to an administrative advisory board of the owners' association, which also wants to remain anonymous, there has been even more property damage in the recent past: "The bonnet of a car has been smeared with oil."
Another time the perpetrator (s) stole a broom from a garden, set it on fire and placed it under a car. “They wait until a car drives into the underground car park and quickly drive their bikes into it.” In these cases, no complaint was apparently filed: Alois Grünwald from the police found no corresponding entries in the computer. The police chief inspector confirms, however, that a patrol had recently been called three times for disturbing the peace. “But the colleagues did not find anyone.” As far as Walter Knof's reports are concerned, there is no evidence or specific suspects.
Playground closed until further notice
The residential complex is currently quiet anyway: the playground has been closed for a week - due to poor road safety. When he was talking to the youngsters, Walter Knof noticed that some of the playground equipment was broken. Among other things, the handles on the seesaw were loose, the bar on the swing was rotten. "The road safety of the play equipment is no longer given - and therefore also not the safety of the children," emphasizes Knof. As a former employee in the rescue service, the subject of safety - especially with children - is very important to him. From his point of view, quick action was required.
Cordoned off with a tape: the playground is currently not usable.
© private
Not least because apartment owners like him have a duty to keep the playground equipment on the residential complex in order. “Also for our own safety.” The owners are liable if something happens.
The three management advisory boards of the owners' association saw the situation like Walter Knof. A week ago on Saturday they dismantled the swings and seesaws and blocked the playground with a tape recorder. Only when the equipment has been repaired and approved by the TÜV and a continuous fence is in place, the playground can reopen, according to one of the administrative councils.
However, this does not solve the basic problem with the rampaging young people. One of the advisory boards suspects that the adolescents are bored due to corona-related restrictions and suggests that the city create offers on the fairground. "It would also be good if the police would make a detour to Obere Griesfeld more often."
Dispute between residents almost escalated
On the evening of August 26th, officials almost did:
A call came in shortly after 7 p.m. at the Bad Tölz police station. At Oberen Griesfeld, a dispute between several residents threatened to get out of hand, according to the information to the officials. Apparently a family man had torn the tape and entered the residential complex's private playground with his children. According to one of the management advisory boards of the owners' association, however, it was only a misunderstanding that triggered the loud argument: The father had thought that the closure was an affront to the children in the residential complex. When it was explained to him and his colleagues that the playground could not be used for safety reasons, most hearts calmed down again.
In the meantime, signs have been put up explaining the reason for the closure. Police chief inspector Alois Grünwald ultimately did not patrol Obere Griesfeld on Wednesday evening - another caller assured a short time after the first call that the situation had relaxed.
You might also be interested in:
Best degree as a landscape gardener in all of Upper Bavaria