A new 16‑meter city tree outside Szczecin Town Hall was plagued by a nighttime theft; by Sunday night several distinctive red‑and‑white ornaments vanished from the tree.
Ornaments Vanish from Szczecin Tree
On Saturday, a new 16‑meter tree outside Szczecin Town Hall was lit up. By Sunday night, several distinctive red‑and‑white ornaments had disappeared, with a few others damaged when the thief tried to remove them. The incident was reported to police.
Video Surfaces on Social Media
Mayor Piotr Krzystek posted a video showing a man lingering near the tree for an extended period before reaching for the ornaments.
Mayor Criticizes Irresponsible Behavior
In the video, Krzystek noted that some people took the slogan “our city tree” too literally. He said a theft attempt had already occurred the night before, and a second attempt by the same individual was caught. He urged the public to treat the tree as communal property and emphasized that it should serve the community for many years.
Warnings to Child Caretakers
The mayor also appealed to those supervising children, warning that planting or climbing on the tree’s platform and running around it posed dangers, asking caregivers to keep those behaviors in check.