FPÖ Calls for 1,500 More Police Officers for Vienna

The Vienna FPÖ demands 1,500 more police officers in the city. This is the minimum required number, it was asserted at a press conference on Monday. According to party leader Dominik Nepp, not enough new recruits are currently being hired. The Blues primarily hold Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) accountable. However, they also call on Mayor Michael Ludwig (SPÖ) to take action. After all, he is one of the "puppet masters" of the federal government, as they claim.

Vienna FPÖ: "Absolutely Inadequate"

The additional forces are necessary in view of the security situation in the city, Nepp explained. The current plans do not take this into account. As the Vienna FPÖ chairman elaborated, only 1,450 new recruits are planned for all of Austria this year. Of these, 800 police trainees have so far started their training in the federal capital. "This is absolutely inadequate," Nepp stated.

"Hotspots" Mentioned

The consequence of this is police stations that have to close at night. The officers' overtime is also high. Up to 100 hours a month are recorded here, Nepp reported. Many police officers therefore resign or transfer to other federal states. This is because the burdens in Vienna are high. Current "hotspots" mentioned today include a speeding track in Favoriten and the drug scene in the Gumpendorfer Straße area.

Due to retirements, resignations, and transfers, Vienna alone will lose 900 police officers this year, explained AUF federal chairman and FPÖ national council member Werner Herbert. He criticized that officers from Vienna are being assigned to other units, such as the Ministry of the Interior. In the central office there, there is "personnel in abundance," assured Herbert.

SPÖ Councilor Comments

For SPÖ councilor Marcus Schober, the FPÖ only stirs up insecurity, while the city government ensures safety, as he explained. This separates serious from "clumsy" politics. The Minister of the Interior, who did the least for the police for years, was Herbert Kickl, Schober stated. However, the SPÖ politician also saw personnel problems. The police had been thinned out by the former federal government, he noted.

1,500 additional police officers are needed, not as a headline, but as a necessity. At the same time, Schober referred to measures they are implementing themselves, such as mixed task forces of police, Waste Watchers, social workers, or the Immediate Measures Group.

Vienna ÖVP Praises Police

The security spokesperson of the Vienna ÖVP, Hannes Taborsky, assured that the executive in Vienna is doing "great work." Minister Karner has initiated the strongest personnel increase in history with over 4,200 new hires in the past two years, he emphasized. More than 32,500 executive officers are currently on duty. That is more than ever before. "Anyone who continues to engage in alarmism in light of these numbers has simply not done their homework."

As a spokesperson for the Ministry of the Interior informed the APA, the figures regarding departures are also incorrect. In Vienna, around 500 police officers will leave the service this year. The majority are retirements and students who do not complete the training. In return, around 800 people will be admitted to basic training this year, it was said.

(APA/Red)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.