Schwerin (dpa/mv) - The police union (GdP) in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania feels let down by the state government and fears a loss of security in view of the permanent shortage of staff and the constant burden. The officials could only do the bare minimum at the moment. "Politicians have to be extremely careful that the population does not permanently lose confidence in the ability of the state and its security authorities to function. Vigilante groups and vigilantism would be the result," warned GdP state chairman Christian Schumacher in a statement distributed in Schwerin on Thursday.
According to the trade unionist, police officers are increasingly turning to the GdP because they are overworked. The investigation files were piling up in the criminal police departments, and in the police stations it was often difficult to man patrol cars. Preventive patrols in rural regions and tourist strongholds are hardly possible anymore. In addition, there are always major events such as football games, festivals and demonstrations, each of which ties up a lot of energy. Schumacher appealed to Prime Minister Manuela Schwesig and Interior Minister Christian level (both SPD) to make internal security a focus of their work. "There is an urgent need for action. There were enough Sunday speeches," said Schumacher.
Contrary to the government's goal of increasing the number of police forces in the country to 6,200 by 2023, job growth is not progressing. On the contrary: According to the responsible technical college in Güstrow, only 108 out of 151 police students successfully completed their training this year. This cannot even compensate for the retirement at the moment. According to reports, around 400 police officers are missing until the target strength is reached.
According to the Ministry of the Interior, the number of applicants has fallen drastically from 4,000 to 1,000 per year as a result of the reduced number of births and increased recruitment by business for young professionals. Many applicants also fell by the wayside during the selection process. They either didn't meet the basic physical requirements, or they made too many mistakes in knowledge tests, it was said.
