Internal security - Police union: Video surveillance at Christmas markets
Following three arrests for planned terrorist attacks, the chairman of the police union (GdP), Jochen Kopelke, advises that all Christmas markets should be monitored by video.
"Video surveillance at Christmas markets is a helpful tool that should be used intensively with the best technology," he told Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND). So far, this has only been the case in isolated cases because preventative video surveillance is often not possible due to data protection regulations.
Kopelke also points out that the police are under great pressure in terms of personnel to protect the Christmas markets: "The presence is enforced by changing duty rosters, vacation closures and overtime." These extra shifts cannot be maintained permanently.
Mindfulness instead of worry
Rainer Wendt, Chairman of the German Police Union (DPolG), also believes that the police are currently under a lot of pressure. "On the one hand, police officers are working to protect Jewish facilities as a result of the war in Gaza. And secondly, the federal police in the federal states cannot provide support at Christmas markets because they are tied up at the border," he told RND. Those who are or could become potential threats are also intercepted there.
Most recently, two young people aged 15 and 16 were arrested in North Rhine-Westphalia and Brandenburg and a 20-year-old was taken into custody in Helmstedt for allegedly planning an attack on a Christmas market. The two young people are in custody. Their alleged plans are reminiscent of the attack at the Memorial Church in Berlin on December 19, 2016, in which a total of 13 people died, one of them years later as a result.
However, Frank Hakelberg, Managing Director of the German Showmen's Association, assured the Düsseldorfer "Rheinische Post": "The 3200 Christmas markets in Germany are safe and people should be careful, but not worried."
Lesen Sie auch:
- Jochen Kopelke, the chairman of the GdP, advocates for the extensive use of video surveillance at all Christmas markets across Germany following several planned terrorist attacks.
- Video surveillance at Christmas markets, as suggested by Kopelke, could provide an effective tool to enhance internal security, but has been limited due to data protection regulations.
- Rainer Wendt, the chairman of the DPolG, shares similar concerns about the pressure faced by the police in protecting Christmas markets, citing additional responsibilities and limitations in personnel.
- Despite the increasing pressure on the police, Frank Hakelberg, Managing Director of the German Showmen's Association, reassuringly states that the 3200 Christmas markets in Germany remain safe, encouraging vigilance rather than excessive worry.
- The implementation of video surveillance and adequate manpower for the police forces have become crucial aspects of Germany's focus on ensuring the overall internal security during the Christmas market season, given the potential threats and past incidents.
Source: www.stern.de
