Budapest Mayor Gergely Karácsony has announced a series of measures aimed at improving public safety in the Hungarian capital, promising a stronger police presence, closer cooperation between authorities and new support services for people struggling with addiction.
The announcement follows growing concern over deteriorating conditions in several districts, with mayors from four inner-city districts recently urging City Hall to take urgent action. Separately, the mayor of Budapest’s 13th district called for an immediate solution to long-standing problems surrounding MÁV-owned residential buildings near Rákosrendező, where residents have complained about crime and disorder for months.
More police officers and better coordination
Following talks with Budapest’s newly appointed police chief, Karácsony outlined a three-point plan designed to tackle both immediate security concerns and their underlying causes. The proposals include:
- Increasing the number of police officers patrolling public spaces.
- Establishing a new Public Space Coordination Working Group, bringing together district municipalities, state agencies, police, healthcare professionals and social services.
- Launching a specialised street outreach service for people with drug addiction, in cooperation with the government’s health and social affairs departments.
Karácsony also argued that revenue generated by Budapest’s network of speed cameras should be redirected to the Budapest Police Headquarters (BRFK) to fund additional officers.
“The speed cameras operated by the capital generate billions of forints in revenue for the state. It is a legitimate expectation that this money should be allocated to the Budapest police so there can be more officers on our streets,” the mayor wrote.
‘Public safety is also a social issue,’ says Karácsony
While acknowledging residents’ concerns about crime and anti-social behaviour, the mayor argued that policing alone cannot solve the problem. According to Karácsony, many of the issues troubling Budapest residents stem from wider national social challenges rather than local law enforcement.
He blamed years of underinvestment in social services, pointing to deep poverty, homelessness among young people leaving state care, unsuccessful drug policies and what he described as the collapse of addiction treatment and psychiatric care. “The problems disturbing residents are to a significant extent not law enforcement issues but social ones, and they are not unique to Budapest but affect the whole country,” he said.
Pressure grows from district leaders
Calls for action have intensified in recent days. The mayors of Budapest’s 1st, 6th, 8th and 9th districts jointly appealed to City Hall to address worsening public safety, while 13th district Mayor József Tóth highlighted serious problems around the Tatai Street MÁV housing complex.
According to Tóth, local residents have reported illegal occupation of the buildings alongside problems including violent incidents, drug dealing, prostitution, theft and deteriorating public hygiene.
Public safety crisis? Budapest leaders call for immediate intervention from government
Government signals willingness to cooperate
Transport and Investment Minister Dávid Vitézy also commented on the Tatai Street site, saying that MÁV has already issued all necessary approvals for the demolition of the buildings.
He added that the railway company is ready to hand over the area to the capital once Budapest is prepared to proceed. Vitézy said he remained committed, both as a government minister and former member of the Budapest Assembly, to eliminating what he described as “untenable conditions” at the site.
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