Green Fountain Mystery; Skateboard Mishap Paralyzes Tram; Surveillance Cameras Installed At Crime Hotspot

News For 15 August 2023

Last Friday morning, passers-by were surprised to see the Tinguely, and Rümelins fountains (among others) a bright shade of green.  The unnatural color was determined to be dye added to the water by as-yet-unknown perpetrators the night before.  Basel's power utility, the IWB, who is responsible for maintenance of the fountains, was equally perplexed.  IWB spokesperson Reto Müller had no further information regarding how or why the fountains were fouled, but added that they were restored to their natural color by the following day.

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Last Wednesday, at the height of the commuter rush hour, a #8 tram was disabled at Barfüsserplatz by a wayward skateboard.  Fortunately, there were no injuries except to the crushed skateboard.  In addition to delaying and diverting tram traffic along the central artery of the city, the tram needed to be lifted off the tracks to remove the skateboard.

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Since May of this year, Basel's public prosecutor's office has reported 10 robberies and violent crimes on the Dreirosenanlage - the riverfront promenade under the Dreirosenbrücke.  This makes the location the hotspot of Basel's criminal activity, which, according to police records, is driven primarily by drugs related crime.  The Basel police department had reacted to the rise in crime by deploying additional police patrols.  However, the increased police presence has not had the desired effect, and the city has decided to install a gauntlet of surveillance cameras to assist with identifying criminals and criminal activity.  In a statement, the police department said that the decision was taken as a last resort in spite of people's privacy rights to help reduce the concentration of criminality in the neighborhood.