Municipalities – Mainz – Association of cities: better equipment of the municipal enforcement service – politics

Mainz (dpa / lrs) – The Association of Cities in Rhineland-Palatinate calls for better equipment for the municipal enforcement service. Blue light and siren, participation in the so-called BOS-Funk, bodycams and tasers mentioned the managing director of the city council, Fabian Kirsch, in an editorial meeting with the German press agency in Mainz. The top of the five largest cities in the country had requested this in a letter to Interior Minister Roger Lewentz (SPD) at the end of January, but were rejected. How does it look a good six months later? How do the City Council and the Ministry of the Interior argue?

The head of the state capital, Manuela Matz (CDU) is still for the Taser. “It is our duty to protect our employees, who repeatedly experience dangerous situations, as best as possible and to equip them so that they can keep attackers at bay.” Pepper spray is not enough for this.

In KAISERSLAUTERN, the city council already dealt with the subject on April 15 at a request from the CDU. The parliamentary group wanted tasers and body cams for the emergency services as well as flashing lights, sirens and BOS radio for the emergency vehicles. The application was rejected by a large majority with the votes of the SPD, Greens, Left, FDP and FBU. The FDP and SPD referred to Interior Minister Lewentz in their argumentation.

LUDWIGSHAFEN and its SPD mayor Jutta Steinruck are “generally committed to continuously improving the training and equipment of the municipal enforcement service (KVD)”. Since the KVD has increasingly taken on tasks in recent years and thus relieves the state police, it is logical that the equipment of the KVD keep pace with the increase in tasks, argues the second largest city in the country. “This includes not only Tasers, but just as important to us are the faster training of staff, the use of body cameras and better radio technology as well as the use of special rights,” said a spokesman for the city.

The KVD takes on responsible tasks and makes a significant contribution to safety and the feeling of safety in Ludwigshafen with more than 11,000 missions a year. “Without the relief from the KVD in numerous areas, the country would have to keep more staff available for the police,” the city says. In the course of the duty of care, it is important to support the KVD emergency services in the performance of their service so that they come home healthy.

The city of TRIER would still support the introduction of tasers in its municipal enforcement services. This service provides “to a considerable extent also for the security of the people” in Trier. “That is why it is important to equip our employees appropriately,” announced the city, headed by the SPD Mayor Wolfram Leibe. In general, it can be observed that aggressive behavior towards employees of the municipal enforcement service increases during certain operations.

The city of KOBLENZ would like to see significantly better training for employees in the municipal enforcement service. In this context, it is also possible to learn how to use ranged weapons, says city spokesman Thomas Knaak. Because aggression and disrespect for employees have increased. “In addition to verbal failures, there are also fights or blows, up to and including threats with knives.”

HOME MINISTER ROGER LEWENTZ (SPD) argues: “The municipal enforcement service is not a municipal enforcement police and should not be.” The traffic light state government is in agreement with the municipal umbrella organizations on this. Part of the clear demarcation is that only the police have resources at their disposal that, such as firearms or long-range electrical pulse devices (tasers), can involve a considerable encroachment on fundamental rights. The police officers would be intensively prepared for dangerous situations and how to deal with critical situations in a three-year course.

STÄDTETAGS DIREKTOR KIRSCH emphasizes in an interview with dpa: “That prevents work to an extent that is intolerable.” The radio network of the authorities and organizations with security tasks (BOS) should no longer be withheld from the regulatory agencies. “The state has to demand this from the federal government at full speed,” said Kirsch. “At major events in Mainz, the municipal security staff have to call the police control center with their cell phones if they want support.”

Blue light and siren are also important: “Sometimes it is urgently necessary that the municipal enforcement service is somewhere quickly.” And: “In Wiesbaden even the municipal traffic police drive around with flashing lights and sirens, in Frankfurt the regulatory police have firearms.”

The employees of the prison service are always in similar dangerous situations as the police. As examples, Kirsch cited the patrol duty of uniformed persons in the case of nocturnal disturbance of the peace on the Rhine or forced admissions to psychiatric clinics. Employees could get into tricky situations and it would take far too long to request reinforcements from the police. “We have quite a few people in the municipal enforcement service who are paid comparable to police commissioners or even police chief commissioners,” emphasized Kirsch.

“We never said that everyone should get a taser,” emphasized Kirsch. This naturally includes a risk analysis and an education and training concept. The distance electric pulse devices are not needed in all municipalities. A group of people must be determined who would be eligible.

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