Bailiffs get protective vests and pepper spray
Bailiffs in NRW are to be equipped with protective vests this year. This was announced by Justice Minister Benjamin Limbach (Greens). According to Limbach, irritant sprayers for self-defense will also be procured. WDR had previously reported on the plans.
According to Limbach, the protective vests should have been there long ago - but there had been delivery problems, partly because the Bundeswehr had placed a large order with the same manufacturer after the Russian attack on Ukraine. According to Limbach, the country is investing 400,000 euros in the vests.
In the case of the pepper spray, the legal weapons issues have now been clarified, as Limbach emphasized last Friday at the state association conference of the German Bailiffs' Association in Neuss. "We will procure the model that is also used by the NRW police," added the minister. Both the protective vest and the pepper spray will not be compulsory to wear.
Frank Neuhaus, NRW head of the bailiffs' association, told the German Press Agency: "The aggressiveness of our enforcement activities is constantly increasing. For example, problem evictions by so-called Reichsbürger are constantly increasing." His association has been calling for protective vests to be provided since 2017, Neuhaus said: "We would be very happy if these could now finally be delivered to our colleagues, as the Minister of Justice has announced, so that he can finally fulfill his duty of care towards bailiffs."
The Justice Minister Benjamin Limbach mentioned that the government will also procure irritant sprayers for bailiffs' self-defense, due to the increase in aggressive enforcement activities. The bailiffs' association in NRW has been advocating for protective vests since 2017, expressing their satisfaction at the potential delivery of these vests by the government.
Source: www.dpa.com
