The development of the state police in Saxony-Anhalt is progressing. A pilot phase with service smartphones is now starting.
Magdeburg (dpa/sa) - Saxony-Anhalt's police force will continue to be equipped with modern technology. This Wednesday, Interior Minister Tamara Zieschang (CDU) will hand over service smartphones to the Salzlandkreis police station, where a pilot phase will start. The state police will gradually be equipped with the devices. "Equipping the police with smartphones should be completed by mid-2024," said the Interior Minister of the German Press Agency in Magdeburg.
The officers can use several apps on the devices on duty. For example, a mobile version of the police case management system, a messenger service, an e-mail app, an app for recording administrative offenses and a meeting app for video conferences should be included. The aim is for the police officers to be able to record facts relevant to the police on site and exchange a wide variety of information in the form of text, images, sound and video.
Other areas are also being upgraded: the state police will soon be working with body cameras. "150 bodycams were procured immediately," said the interior minister. "These will also be issued to the Stendal police station and the police college in the second quarter. The equipment for the entire state police force will be staggered over several years."
Meanwhile, the staffing of the police is also progressing: "We have now reached an important intermediate stage with 6,400 colleagues in the police force," said Zieschang. "We clearly have our sights set on the target number of 7,000 police officers. That's why we want to hire 550 candidates this year and next. We're in good spirits at the moment that we'll be able to do that." The minister added: "The police profession is still very, very attractive for young people."
