Big swearing-in ceremony

Despite new police recruits, staff shortage remains an issue

Around 330 police officers were sworn in behind Schönbrunn Palace on Monday. 86 of them are now on duty, the rest are starting their training.

(Bild: Zwefo)

The Vienna police force is looking forward to reinforcements and an increase in applications, but challenges remain.

On Monday, Schönbrunn Palace was teeming with police. However, the occasion was not an act of violence, but the ceremonial swearing-in of 86 new police officers from the police academy and a further 239 new police trainees. In view of the shortage of personnel, the joy about each and every one of them is great.

Successful personnel offensive: Vienna police gain 800 new recruits
Overall, the Vienna Police can look back on a successful year in terms of recruitment. By the end of the year, 800 young men and women had been recruited for training. The number of applications even doubled compared to the previous year. According to the Ministry of the Interior, the fact that only around a quarter of applicants actually start police training is mainly due to an interview with a psychologist. Nevertheless, the requirements have been lowered, for example through a simplified entrance test and the fact that tattoos are no longer an exclusion criterion. Financial incentives include reimbursement of the air-conditioning ticket and the cost of a driving license. Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP ) has the successful personnel offensive to thank for the increased interest. This is to be continued consistently. But the tense economic situation also contributes to the attractiveness. "In these times, secure jobs are in demand," says a ministerial spokesperson.

Interior Minister Karner and Police Commissioner Pürstl show off the new QR code.

(Bild: Zwefo)

And the Ministry of the Interior has come up with yet another new marketing gimmick: From now on, people interested in the police profession can use a QR code on the rear windows of police cars to call up information about the recruitment process. The goal of all the measures and innovations is clear: to exceed the 2024 intake figures.

I am convinced that if we continue recruiting at this pace, we will be able to maintain and increase staffing levels in the long term.

Wiens Landespolizeipräsident Gerhard Pürstl

Retirement wave will cause problems until 2030
As positive as these rising figures are, the wave of retirements is still causing a bottleneck. "Around 200 colleagues retire every year. This problem will keep us busy until 2030. Only then can we expect the situation to ease," says Vienna's Provincial Police President Gerhard Pürstl.

If you compare the new recruits and those leaving - 300 have completed their training this year and over 200 have retired - the result is a slight plus. However, this does not mean that they will all stay in Vienna (see interview below). In the hotspot district of Favoriten, there have recently even been 30 fewer officers. The staff shortage therefore remains an issue.

"A hamster wheel that pushes many to the limit"
"Krone": After the National Council elections, the police unions are now starting their election campaign. Overtime and additional workloads are of course a big issue. How much overtime do police officers in Vienna work on average?
Walter Strallhofer: On average, colleagues in Vienna work at least 220 hours per month, which is 60 hours more than planned. But that's not the issue. Much worse is the duty cycle, which forces them not to go home after day or night duty on many days, but to put in another 12 hours - in other words, to be on duty for 24 hours. Then they have two days off and the whole thing starts all over again. It's a hamster wheel that pushes many people to the limit.

This is due to the lack of staff. But there is a big recruiting offensive that works. Is that not enough?
A lot is being done, but not enough. The admission criteria have been relaxed, but we still need more incentives.

Trade unionist Walter Strallhofer (FSG).

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/zVg)

What kind of incentives?
Of course, a work-life balance would be desirable, but if that is not possible, at least monetary incentives are needed - such as a capital city bonus. Then more people from the provinces would want to stay in Vienna.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of the Interior has said that police officers who stay in Vienna are here for an average of a decade.
That's true, but not voluntarily. They are promised in the provinces that they will soon leave Vienna again. When they realize that this is not the case, many leave altogether. This drop-out rate must be prevented.

So something is going wrong with recruitment?
Yes, not in Vienna, but in the federal states. An absurd example: I know some police officers from the federal states who are interested in WEGA. But there is a rule here that only applicants from Vienna are accepted. In times of staff shortages, this is a fatal mistake. Vienna in particular, with its many additional services, needs all the extra support it can get.