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Police in Saxony-Anhalt: Staff shortages are slowing down our security!
Saxony-Anhalt is struggling with a shortage of police personnel. Goal: 7,000 police officers by 2028. Training problems are causing delays.
Police in Saxony-Anhalt: Staff shortages are slowing down our security!
The police in Saxony-Anhalt are facing major challenges. With only around 6,400 police officers, the workforce is currently well below the target of 7,000 by 2026. However, Interior Minister Tamara Zieschang assumes that this goal can only be achieved at the beginning of 2028. The reason for the delay? The increase in dropouts and high failure rates in exams. Zieschang is even thinking about raising the target of the police force, as the demands on the police are constantly growing, as radiosaw.de reports.
A look at the training landscape shows that ex-rector Frank Knöppler points out the high dropout rates in police training. He emphasizes that both technical training and physical fitness are essential for a career in the police. Knöppler suspects that increased advertising on social media may attract unsuitable candidates. The reasons for early termination of training include failing exams, missing driving licenses, but also breaches of duty and criminal proceedings. Overall, Knöppler sees the technical college in Aschersleben in the top third of a nationwide comparison of all police colleges, as mdr.de reports.
Challenges and need for reform
Another major issue is the lack of qualified applicants for police training. In North Rhine-Westphalia, over 11,000 applicants had registered by May - but the target number of 3,000 qualified candidates could not be achieved. The state government has extended the application deadline for the next training year because high failure rates of 20% are found in specialist exams every year. A new regulation, which comes into force from September 1st, allows you to retake an exam up to two times after failing twice. This so-called “joker solution” is intended to help weed out unsuitable candidates without pushing away potential talent, reports wdr.de.
The Association of German Criminal Police Officers (BDK) also points out the personnel gaps in the criminal police in Saxony-Anhalt. Knöppler calls for targeted training that also focuses more on specific areas of responsibility. This could also be achieved through additional courses for prospective criminal police officers. Internships and practical modules should also be integrated into the training in order to better prepare junior staff for the challenges of everyday police work. Uwe Bachmann from the police union (GdP) also sees an urgent need for action.
All of these aspects show that the police in Saxony-Anhalt and North Rhine-Westphalia are facing major challenges not only in terms of personnel shortages, but also in terms of training. It remains to be seen how the planned reforms can improve the situation and whether the necessary specialists will answer the call to the police.