Following a brutal attack Friday night on parking wardens working near Christiania, the City Council has decided to temporarily drop parking patrols on the streets surrounding the area.
?“The safety of our employees is paramount. We will conduct a full investigation into this incident before sending parking wardens back into the area,” said Anders Møller, the council’s director of parking enforcement.
?According to Dannie Rise, the chief investigator for the Copenhagen Police Department, the wardens had just finished distributing parking tickets on Refshalevej on Friday evening when eight to ten men wielding clubs ran out of Christiania and attacked them.
?Two of the wardens were driven to Amager Hospital for treatment while the third was taken to the Rigshospitalet Trauma Centre. All three are now listed in good condition, according to the council.?
The cityÂ’s deputy mayor for technical and environmental affairs Ayfer Baykal (Socialistisk Folkeparti) said she was shocked by the incident.
?“I am appalled by this attack on three of the city’s traffic wardens. It is totally unacceptable,” Baykal said. “My thoughts go out to these three employees that perform such an important service for the city. I am glad to hear that they are recovering.”
Copenhagen has a long history of working to improve security for the cityÂ’s parking wardens, including courses in conflict management. Those efforts proved ineffective against these attacks.?
Police have yet to arrest anyone in connection with the attack or establish any links between the assailants and Christiania.
