Anyone who spits has to pay – 70 euros. The city of Heilbronn, located north of Stuttgart, even has a name for this: “wild spitting”. But it’s not just spitting that’s expensive. If a cigarette is thrown on the ground, that also costs 70 euros. If dog feces are left lying around or peed on the street, the fine is already 140 euros. On top of that there is a processing fee of 28.50 euros.

138 reports of “wild spitting” in Heilbronn

These penalties have been in effect since the end of 2024. There are now the first figures: city spokeswoman Claudia Küpper told FOCUS online that there were 138 reports of the administrative offense “spitting” in 2025. There were also three lawsuits last year due to dog feces that were not collected.

The penalties are part of a larger concept in Heilbronn. The city wants to improve the quality of life and sense of security of its citizens and combat its reputation as the “Heilbronx”, fear and crime – starting with cleanliness. According to a corresponding “Spiegel” report, companies, police and local councils in the city have been arguing for years about how improvements can be made. And long before that Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) in October 2025 sparked the “cityscape” debate.

Fines and security measures in Heilbronn

According to the “Spiegel” report, the Institute for Criminology at the University of Heidelberg carried out a study on behalf of the city in 2023. 3,000 people from Heilbronn were surveyed. The majority, 63 percent, avoid places like the city center at night. The reason: They feel threatened by aggressive groups.

The statistics show: In 2020 there were 75 crimes on the market square and in the surrounding area alone. In 2023 the number almost doubled, and in 2024 it increased to 213 crimes. These often include drug offenses and theft, as “Spiegel” writes. Three out of four suspects do not have a German passport. It is also clear: Heilbronn is a multicultural city; 58 percent of the city’s approximately 130,000 residents have a migration background.

Urban development and measures against crime

The city center is falling apart, retailers are missing and shops are empty. There are almost a dozen kebab shops around Kilianskirche. For CDU city councilor Christoph Troßbach there are too many, he tells “Spiegel”.

He proposed an “upper limit” for kebab shops, barbershops and nail salons in the CDU program for the 2024 local elections. Troßbach believes that this can slow down a “negative magnetic effect”. In his opinion, with a kebab shop there would first be vacancy and then crime. According to the report, he received criticism for this idea.

Investments in security and urban order

The city is now pursuing a different strategy, investing one million euros. According to the city 30 measures are bundled in a catalog, including the above-mentioned penalties for spitting or tipping. Furthermore, shop windows of empty retail spaces should be decorated. The city wants to buy up unused buildings and rent them out to business owners they think are ideal. The variety of shops would be missing, there would be a need for offers for all social milieus, Troßbach told “Spiegel”. Jewelers will move in instead of kebab shops.

Furthermore, cars are confiscated from so-called posers – those who let their engines rev while idling. Besides that reports the Heilbronn newspaper “Voice”that the Heilbronn public order office is increasingly roaming the streets. Equipped with pepper spray, batons and handcuffs, they search for illegal bulky waste and report those responsible. After the city’s own information A unit was formed for this purpose in 2025: it is called “Waste Watcher”, or “waste police” in German. LED spotlights will be installed on the market square: more light should ensure more safety. The place has been designated as a weapons ban zone. In addition, six cameras were installed for 200,000 euros.

Criticism from the Integration Advisory Board: More dialogue instead of control

“The city is the face with which the state faces its citizens. If the face is repellent, trust in politics dwindles,” says CDU man Troßbach to “Spiegel”.

Sevinç Daş, board member of the Turkish Women’s Association in Heilbronn and a member of the city’s integration advisory board, is not sure whether this actually makes the city safer. She told “Spiegel” that the core of the problem would remain. Daş further explains: “Our society is only safe if we not only monitor but also understand.” Everyone should approach each other.