Offenbach defect detector running "hot": record figures in 2024
14.01.2025 – Cleanliness is an issue that concerns many people in Offenbach. However, people don't just talk about it, many also actively campaign for more cleanliness by picking up their smartphones and reporting shortcomings to the city officials.
The Offenbach defect reporter has been in place since the beginning of 2012 and is now the main reporting tool when it comes to cleanliness in the city. But it can also be used to report damage, car wrecks, defective street lighting or other issues. A total of ten categories are available. The app is free to use. It has the advantage that the exact location can be determined directly via the GPS signal, enabling a quick response. The reports from the 10 different categories are sent directly to the responsible departments so that they can be processed quickly. Illegal waste is usually removed within 48 hours of the report being received. The app sends the reporters a status message as soon as something has been done.
The increasing number of users and reports shows how well the defect reporter has been received by the population. In the first year, the city received around 550 reports. Last year, a new record was set with 18,440 reports. In first place is the category "illegal waste/bulky waste" with 13,437 reports, followed by the category "pothole/road/sidewalk damage" (1,309), "road/sidewalk dirty" (826), "vehicle without license plate" (685), "waste bin overfilled/defective" (683). The remaining categories account for 1,500 cases. Around half of all reports come from citizens, the other half from the neighborhood walkers and employees of the ESO and the public order office. "I am impressed by the commitment of our citizens. Especially when it comes to the use of the "illegal waste/bulky waste" category. More than 90 percent of these reports are immediately checked by the "Sauberes Offenbach" (Clean Offenbach) Stabsstelle and, depending on the prospects of the investigation, forwarded to the waste investigators at the Public Order Office or coordinated directly to ESO for disposal," says Paul-Gerhard Weiß, Head of the Cleanliness Department.
Link to the defect report
Anyone who would also like to get involved and make their own contribution to greater cleanliness can find more information and a download link to the defect reporter app at offenbach.de/maengelmelder. Christian Broos, Head of the "Sauberes Offenbach" (Clean Offenbach) Stabsstelle: "If you don't just want to report defects, but want to lend a hand yourself, you can register for our next city-wide CleanUp, the Offenbach Spring Clean from March 28-29. Information about this can be found at offenbach.de/cleanup". According to Christian Broos, around 300 volunteers took part in the one-day event last year, ensuring a clean start to spring. The CleanUp is organized by the Stabsstelle in cooperation with Stadtwerke Offenbach's resource and waste consulting department.
Get active for a clean city: CleanUp dates:
Illegal disposal can be expensive
Cleaning up litter is one thing, but preventing it is another. This is why the city not only places great importance on the prompt removal of illegal waste, but also employs a team of litter investigators at the public order office who try to track down those responsible. Last year, 1,099 investigations were carried out into cleanliness violations. The resulting administrative offense proceedings led to fines of 71,348.80 euros for the public order office, 65,035.25 euros in 2023 and 26,851.00 euros in 2022.
"When we introduced the Offenbach defect report in 2012 with the support of the GBO and the Office for Public Relations as part of the 'Better living in Offenbach' campaign, we had an idea that we were making an offer that would be popular with citizens. However, the annual increase in the number of reports is overwhelming thanks to our citizens," says Frank Weber, Head of the Public Order Office. "Around three quarters of the reports concern cleanliness issues. However, this also shows that our citizens also care about the cleanliness of our city and that we must not let up in doing everything we can to take consistent action against litterers!"