Criticism from the SPÖ

Dispute over police staffing levels

Decommissioning in Eisenstadt: According to the SPÖ, too few officers are being recruited, but the ministry cannot understand this.(Bild: Schulter Christian)

The SPÖ speaks of a "dramatic situation" and is taking action in parliament. It is time to recognize the commitment of the police. The Ministry of the Interior rejects the criticism. 

At a press conference, SPÖ party leader Roland Fürst and parliamentary representative Roman Kainrath vented their displeasure. Parliamentary inquiries had revealed that the number of police officers available for deployment in Austria had fallen from 28,582 in 2020 to around 24,584 in the previous year. "This means that there are around 4,000 fewer police officers on duty across the country than four years ago," says Fürst.

Making the police profession more attractive
The result is no predictable working hours and spontaneous overtime. The SPÖ is therefore tabling a motion for a resolution in the upcoming state parliament session. "Among other things, we are calling for the police profession to be made more attractive and for increased recruitment of police officers," says Fürst. The ÖVP-led Ministry of the Interior is responsible for the misery. "It's time for the dedication of our police officers to be recognized and for them to have better working conditions," says Kainrath.

Ministry of the Interior counters criticism
The Ministry of the Interior responded in a press release before the press conference. It emphasized that "Burgenland is in top shape in terms of personnel today and will remain so for many years to come, and the staffing levels are pleasingly above average". Successful nationwide recruiting is attracting many interested people to the police academy in Eisenstadt and filling the classrooms. This successfully compensates for retirements in advance. The executive in Burgenland is also relieved by the Fox border unit, to which 50 police officers are assigned.

The accusation of declining staffing levels was also rejected: according to the Ministry of the Interior, Burgenland had 1513 police officers in 2014 and 1639 officers in 2024. "The SPÖ's calculations are without foundation," it said.