Concerning Salzburg

The police must remain visible

(Bild: Krone KREATIV, Julia Hürner)

A commentary by "Salzburg-Krone" editor-in-chief Claus Pándi.

Most crimes are committed out of love or greed. Neither can be stopped in humans, otherwise we would no longer be human. But we can improve the methods for recognizing warning signals earlier. This presupposes that the police have the right personnel, both in terms of quality and quantity.

It will not have escaped anyone's notice that criminal energies have not become weaker in recent years. On the contrary.

It is not so much the number of crimes, but the willingness to commit violence that has increased. And the digital space, known as "the net", has opened up ever new fields of activity for crime. The Internet has become a limitless space for fraud and extortion. And we're not even talking about the Russian or Chinese troll factories, which often have the sole aim of unsettling the West under political guidance in order to disrupt our way of life.

It would be asking too much of the police to bring us a life like it used to be. Especially as it was so much better "in the past", even just in our memories. But more resources, more staff with up-to-date training are a start.

However, it is also important that the officers do not disappear behind their computers, but remain visible on the streets and in the villages. The most effective means of combating fear and insecurity is still personal contact.