GdP chief calls for debate on equipment after attacks

Police - GdP chief calls for debate on equipment after attacks

After a fatal stabbing attack on a police officer in Mannheim and fatal shootings following a stabbing attack in Wolmirstedt in Sachsen-Anhalt, the police union is calling for a debate on the equipment of officials. "It's not just about the Taser, it's especially about the protection of police officers and policewomen from stabbing attacks," said the federal chairman of the Police Union, Jochen Kopelke, on Monday at MDR Aktuell.

Tasers are electric shock devices, with which police officers can keep an attacker at a distance. A police officer shoots a dart-connected arrow from a distance of two to five meters. For the affected person, this is painful.

Kopelke spoke of an increase in the number of stabbing attacks. "We see that in the criminal statistics, which always look at the previous year. And we experience that in the missions. The knife is just a special focus in the daily business." The police are prepared and train for situations where the other person has a weapon. "The problem, of course, is that they increasingly have situations where they don't expect it and therefore the police are increasingly being called for even the use of firearms."

Kopelke explained about the use of service weapons: "Who charges at others with a knife, must reckon that the pistol comes into play, and then serious injuries will follow."

Most recently, on a Friday evening in Wolmirstedt, north of Magdeburg, a 27-year-old was shot by officers after he had first allegedly stabbed a 23-year-old and then allegedly injured several people at a private garden party. The officers reportedly drew their weapons when the Afghan allegedly attacked them with a knife.

The Police Inspection Stendal referred to the ongoing investigative proceedings on Monday. For investigative tactical reasons, no statements on investigation results will be made. No final autopsy reports are available yet.

In Mannheim, on May 31, a Afghan stabbed five members of the islamcritical movement Pax Europa and a police officer with a knife. The police officer later died.

MDR Aktuell to listen to.

1. The increase in stabbing attacks, as pointed out by Jochen Kopelke, the federal chairman of the Police Union, has highlighted the need for a discussion on the equipment of police officers and policewomen for internal security, particularly in light of the recent knife attack in Mannheim, Germany.
2. During a stabbing attack in Wolmirstedt, north of Magdeburg, a 27-year-old was shot by officers who reportedly drew their weapons when he allegedly attacked them with a knife, after earlier stabbing and injuring several people at a private garden party.
3. Jochen Kopelke emphasized that the protection of police officers and policewomen from stabbing attacks is paramount, and while Tasers offer a means to keep attackers at a distance, they are not the only solution, considering the rise in knife-related crimes.
4. In response to Kabkelke's statement, MDR Aktuell has encouraged its audience to tune in for further discussions on this significant issue regarding the internal security of Germany, particularly with regard to the increased number of knife attacks.
5. Notably, the Police Union is advocating for increased resources and equipment to address the growing concern of knife attacks, such as those that occurred in Mannheim, Baden-Württemberg, where an Afghani individual killed a police officer in a knife attack, and cut several members of the islamcritical movement Pax Europa.
6. The police in Baden-Württemberg and throughout Germany have been instructed to prepare for and train for situations where the other person has a weapon, as stabbing attacks have become a focal point in their daily business.
7. As the investigations into both the Mannheim and Wolmirstedt knife attacks continue, there remains a strong emphasis within the police force and public discourse on the importance of addressing the issue of internal security, particularly with regards to stabbing attacks, in order to maintain safe and secure cities and towns in Germany.

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