Brutal attacks on emergency services: police officers in MV in the crosshairs!

Brutal attacks on emergency services: police officers in MV in the crosshairs!

Recently there have been increasing reports of brutal attacks on emergency services in Germany. In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania in particular, the increasing violence against police officers, paramedics and firefighters is causing worried faces. Last weekend in Schwerin, a police officer was brutally attacked and kicked unconscious during an operation. However, his colleague was able to fend off further attacks, but the incident shows once again that the security forces are increasingly in danger. Loud SVZ This is just one example of many, because the number of such violent attacks is increasing.

As part of a disturbance operation, a 29-year-old man in Neubrandenburg was known to have hit a police officer in the face. The result: injuries and a necessary hospitalization for the officer. The perpetrator has now been admitted to a psychiatric hospital. These incidents are not isolated cases. In Greifswald, civilian police officers were attacked during a fight; One of the officers had to be hospitalized and will be out for a long time. In Rostock, a police officer's jaw broke while arresting a harassing man - a serious attack that shows how tense the situation is. In Mecklenburg Switzerland, routine operations have developed into real crisis situations, in which officials are sometimes kicked and beaten.

Everyday violence against police officers

Commissions and the police union (GdP) have sounded the alarm. Loud World Across Germany, 162 police officers are victims of crime every day, nine of whom are seriously injured. Oliver Malchow, the federal chairman of the GdP, states that the inhibition threshold for physical attacks on the police has fallen significantly. What is worrying is that the public often only pays attention to attacks during demonstrations or sporting events. The everyday violence that police officers experience in their regular operations is often ignored.

To further illustrate the problem, it should be mentioned that around 15,600 police positions have been cut nationwide since 1997, which has made the situation even worse. According to the GdP, officials feel increasingly overwhelmed and are demanding more staff in order to carry out their tasks and ensure the safety of citizens. The clearance rate for residential burglaries is less than 15 percent, which further increases the frustration among officers.

A worrying trend

The discussion about violence against and by police has become more intense in recent years. bpb highlights that violent confrontations have increased in officers' everyday lives, not just at large events. Police have the state monopoly on violence, and the use of coercion always requires a legal basis. However, there are still cases of illegitimate use of force, and the difference between legitimate and illegitimate violence is often difficult to distinguish.

The legislature responded to the growing violence with the 2017 law that created the criminal offense of “assaulting law enforcement officers.” Nevertheless, the willingness to report cases to the police remains low. Many officers report physical violence on duty; Statistics show a clear increase in acts of resistance against police officers since the 1990s. At the same time, social and political discourse rarely focuses on the everyday violence that many police officers experience.

It is about time that these issues were brought to the center of public and political debate. The emergency services deserve a safe working environment and the respect of society.