Turn of the year - Police union deplores political failure before New Year's Eve
The chairman of the police union (GdP) expects renewed riots on New Year's Eve and criticizes a failure of politics. "Ever since last year's violent excesses in Berlin, but also in numerous places in the Ruhr region and even in Bonn, which is actually a peaceful city, everyone knows that something has gone wrong in our society. We must finally react to this," Jochen Kopelke told the "Rheinische Post" (Thursday). The police will be on site at hotspots with a "massive deployment of personnel".
"Those who have failed are the politicians," said Kopelke. "Why aren't politicians finally giving the police the legal means to consistently intervene against those involved in the violent excesses? And why haven't we had a ban on the sale of firecrackers on New Year's Eve for a long time? Just like we do all year round," continued the GdP chairman.
Heavy fireworks have been used in large cities for a long time. For some years now, however, fireworks and rockets have also been thrown and shot at police officers and firefighters. Last year, incidents caused nationwide outrage - in the capital, rescue workers were deliberately lured into suspected ambushes, according to Berlin's police commissioner Barbara Slowik. In Berlin, the largest police operation on New Year's Eve in decades is now taking place at the turn of the year, and many police officers are also to provide security in other cities.
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- Despite the police union's "massive deployment of personnel" at hotspots, Jochen Kopelke laments the lack of legal tools for police to effectively intervene against violent excesses.
- The violent excesses on New Year's Eve in Berlin and other cities, such as the Ruhr area and Bonn, have raised concerns about societal issues that need to be addressed.
- Aid organizations have been preparing for the turn of the year, anticipating potential increases in criminality and the need for their services.
- Jochen Kopelke questioned the political will to ban the sale of firecrackers on New Year's Eve, arguing that similar restrictions are already in place throughout the year.
- The Rheinische Post reported that police in Berlin are set for one of their largest operations in decades due to concerns about violent excesses at the turn of the year.
- The police union's chairman, Jochen Kopelke, pointed to the criminality and violent excesses that have plagued Germany during New Year's Eve celebrations in recent years.
- The GDP chairman, Jochen Kopelke, criticized politicians in Germany for failing to adequately address the issue of firework-related violence, particularly towards police officers and firefighters.
Source: www.stern.de
