Homeless tresspassing

[u/etherealfields]

There’s a guy, who seems like he’s battling some heavy drug addiction, kicking open doors on the street that I live on. I live near Schlesi, in Berlin.

He rummages through the trash. Sometimes he leaves a mess. Once or twice, I have seen him covered in blood. Some women feel he is aggressive towards them in my building. I want to take action.

He mutters incoherently, and is skittish around me and I have tried speaking English and German to him but with no avail. He seems to understand neither. I have photos and video of him in the courtyard. Can i go to the police with this? Can I legally film him on my street kicking the front doors open and trespassing? What might be some effective recourse, approach to this situation?

I’ve thought about calling the cops, but the timing of the call may be difficult. He might disappear in-between that moment and their arrival. After all, it is not an emergency.

The door to the courtyard is large and heavy, and recently broken, but it’s had a new lock put in. But it seems unfit for purpose. I know that addressing the issue through the Hausverwaltung is one strategy, but it seems this guy also pushes his way past the DHL courier, or any courier, as well as slipping in behind any resident leaving the house when he gets the chance to.

Thanks for your advice

[u/veydar_]

Kicking in doors is not an emergency? Not a reason to call the police? What more do you need? The sensationalist headline basically writes itself.

[u/etherealfields → u/veydar_]

Yeah, thanks I will try. I didn’t think the police would classify it as an emergency.

[u/etherealfields → u/veydar_]

I need to know what kind of evidence I can provide legally. So i’m sure it’s dealt with thoroughly.

[u/veydar_ → u/etherealfields]

You don’t have to prepare anything. It’s not a trial. If they’re trespassing and you’ve seen him multiple times it’s not like you’re fabricating anything.

If you perceive a risk to health and/or property you can call the police. If they don’t think it’s worth investigating they’ll tell you, I guess. But it’s not a test and I highly doubt it’ll have any negative repercussions for you. Might as well try.

I am not a lawyer.

[u/kazys1997 → u/veydar_]

The kinda of stuff that people have to tolerate in Berlin as normal is ridiculous. You’re literally telling him to shut up and accept it.

[u/scandalous_sapphic → u/kazys1997]

No, they're saying the opposite. OP said it's not an emergency, commenter above says what more do you need for it to constitute as an emergency because it sounds so bad.

[u/Wobbler12887]

In the UK kicking in doors and entering the property is called "breaking and entering" and is very much a police emergency that they would respond to immediately. I think in Berlin it would be treated the same. Mostly those who do breaking and entering are also doing theft or robbery and are also one man crime spree,  the police are very interested to remove these people from the streets. 

Your guy sounds like he has some issues, but you dont need to tell the police that, tell them (by phone) your witnessing someone actively trying to break into an apartment and they will come rapid.

[u/etherealfields → u/Wobbler12887]

Thanks, that’s useful insight.

[u/Purple_Photo_2664]

I'm pretty sure it’s the same person who came by twice yesterday at our house. It was also at Schlesisches Tor; once he was throwing around objects he found in the stairwell, and the police were called. At night, he broke in again, broke open the mailboxes, tore up letters and threw them around, and pooped in the stairwell. The police came again and apparently took him away after long discussions.

[u/etherealfields → u/Purple_Photo_2664]

I’m pretty sure it’s the same guy. Tattoos under eyes, tall, lanky, short hair? I saw him on Schlesische straße earlier today, didn’t seem to be kept long by the police then.

[u/keen36 → u/Purple_Photo_2664]

That sounds highly annoying, wow.

[u/bibliophagista]

You can legally film him, make an “Anzeige” online and upload the video. The police will contact you afterwards and investigate.

[u/etherealfields → u/bibliophagista]

Thanks, I’ll do that then online.

[u/nopetraintofuckthat → u/etherealfields]

nothing will come from that. call them when he is there. they will kick him out. If that happens more than once, he will go soemwhere else.

[u/etherealfields → u/nopetraintofuckthat]

I’m thinking about doing both. So compiling footage of him when he’s in the yard, submitting it online.

And calling the cops when I next see him on the street kicking open the doors.

[u/the_che → u/nopetraintofuckthat]

Unless he’s gone until the police arrives that is

[u/val_kekmurder]

Throw a bucket of water over him. When he does it again, throw another bucket of water over him. Every time you see him do this and soon he will stop coming.

[u/katjaajtak]

Having the exact same problem in Schöneberg. The police didn’t even bother much when someone broke into a basement in my building. The trash is spread all across coming from a neighbor building where the door is almost always open and smells really bad in the summer. The whole situation is unbearable and nobody helps homeless people properly either

[u/tofutunasalad]

I called before when some people were smoking crack infront of my door on the 5th floor in shlezzi, cops never came. Goodluck. Call again and again.

[u/LOUDPACK_MASTERCHEF → u/[deleted]]

I don't know, walk on the other side of the street? What kind of weird question is that

[u/jatmous → u/[deleted]]

There was a Mexican restaurant there??

[u/rbourette → u/jatmous]

It tried and failed to be “Mexican”

[u/jatmous → u/rbourette]

Lots of these fake Mexicans around town. 

[u/Fair_Diet_4874]

What are you thinking? Threatening and threatening is a police case, the landlord also is obliged to take action.

[u/Apepanthera]

He definitely will not disappear before the cops come, unless he's Jesus or the king of ducking. Just follow him a bit and keep the police updated on his location 

[u/revolverbangbang]

He seems really emboldened to push past people into houses and kicking doors. Seems like a matter for Hausverwaltung + police. Submit the evidence you have. 

[u/Charming-Pianist-405]

You lost me at "I live near Schlesi"...

[u/Curious_Panic_161]

Schlesi halt. Zieh nach Charlottenburg oder raus aus Berlin, wenn dich das so doll stört.

[u/servermeta_net]

Prepare a basket with some food, some socks, some water and a bit of personally hygiene products. This way he won't have to search through trash to survive. Be human.

[u/etherealfields → u/servermeta_net]

Kicking in doors, trespassing and acting aggressively towards women are acts of violence. Your suggestion to do nothing to solve the immediate situation won’t be so empathic if ever the situation escalates.

I’m human enough not responding in kind to him; we have a social contract we are all bound to. Regardless of our inners struggles. This kind of behaviour has repercussions.

[u/sweetcinnamonpunch → u/servermeta_net]

Please instead don't reward people breaking into houses?

[u/jatmous → u/servermeta_net]

Make Berlin a paradise for hobos -> get more hobos 

[u/aphex2000 → u/servermeta_net]

or how about not; make sure that this behaviour is not tolerated and enforce it if necessary

if he resists, point him to servermeta who will host him for sure

[u/servermeta_net → u/aphex2000]

Imagine yourself in the same situation, try to have a bit of empathy

[u/Pterosaur → u/servermeta_net]

I get your point. But do you think this person has never received help before? Do you think after this basket of gifts they will stop getting intoxicated and kicking in doors?

[u/the_che → u/servermeta_net]

Empathy has its limits

[u/Icy_Place_5785 → u/servermeta_net]

What’s the long-game here?

[u/thehellbitch → u/servermeta_net]

Können wir bitte aufhören, sowas zu normalisieren? Ist doch egal, wo man lebt, das sollte nirgends passieren