In Eisenstadt

New location: more officers are now on duty

These police students proudly celebrated their graduation - a further 56 were sworn in.(Bild: Schulter Christian)

Trafficking in human beings, cybercrime, the fight against extremism - the police are preparing for major tasks. The police academy has been given a new location in Eisenstadt.

Despite difficult, often new challenges, our police force has done an outstanding job." Interior Minister Gerhard Karner was full of praise on "Police Day" in Eisenstadt. The Burgenland police force is currently focusing on three tasks in particular. Three criminal assistance units and 17 additional jobs have been created in the fight against cyber criminals.

Ten positions for combating extremism
"The threat posed by this form of crime is increasing. It must be countered effectively," says the state police directorate. Ten positions have also been added to the State Office for State Protection and Counter Extremism. "In this area, the police are increasingly focusing on the protection of people and property, IT investigations and prevention work," it says.

Focus on smugglers
According to the Minister of the Interior, "massive relief" has been achieved in the area of smuggling. While 38,000 refugees were apprehended in Burgenland in 2022, this figure fell to 18,000 in the same period in 2023. There are more than 1,200 registrations for 2024 so far.

Staff numbers are being significantly increased. Across Austria, 2008 police officers started their training this year - almost twice as many as in 2023. "By the end of the year, there will be more than 2,500 who have started their police career in 2024," emphasized Karner in Eisenstadt. The police force in Burgenland is also being strengthened: 16 new police officers joined the force on Friday and 56 students were sworn in. This means that 180 men and women are currently undergoing basic police training - a record number!

Courses for police students
Due to the consistently high enrolment figures in Burgenland, an expansion of the police school is necessary. In cooperation, the Chamber of Commerce will provide rooms in Eisenstadt for two courses from mid-2025. "This will create the opportunity to train police officers locally," said Karner. Outsourcing the courses to Lower Austria or Vienna will therefore become superfluous.