The collective group of individuals living within a specific, shared environment. - Wounded law enforcement personnel are awarded greater compensation for physical torment.
Police officers in the southwest are facing an escalating issue as they are increasingly being subjected to insults, threats, and attacks. In an effort to better support these civil servants, the state parliament has voted to amend the state civil servants law with the help of the Greens and the CDU.
The recent case of a police officer being fatally stabbed on the market square in Mannheim has been a particularly troubling development for Interior Minister Thomas Strobl (CDU), who has been grappling with this situation for years. In the past year, there has been an increase of 8.5% in violent crimes against civil servants, bringing the total case count to 6,000, with an additional 11.7% of those incidents resulting in the injury of 3,002 officers. Since 2014, both violent crimes and the number of injured civil servants in the state have each increased by approximately 60% and 70%, respectively.
Since 2018, the state has been paying compensation to indigent perpetrators who are found to be responsible for these incidents, and in future, the employer will also intervene if the attacker is suffering from a mental illness, alcohol addiction, or is otherwise unknown.
The new law is a clear message to the police that they are not alone in this fight, stated Strobl. The tragic death of officer Rouven Laur, who was stabbed in Mannheim, has highlighted the reality that police operations can potentially be life-threatening. "An attack on the police is an attack on all of us," he added during the plenary session.
In May, a 25-year-old Afghan man injured five participants of a demonstration by the Islam-critical group Pax Europa as well as the officer Laur with a knife on the Mannheim market square. The civil servant later succumbed to his injuries.
The state parliament held a moment of silence in honor of the slain police officer, with Landtag President Muhterem Aras (Greens) praising him as a friendly, sincere, very popular, and unique young man who was dedicated to making the world a better, safer place. Aras expressed deep sorrow for the loss of this responsible civil servant who had committed to a peaceful social coexistence. "We mourn the loss of civil servants who gave of themselves for the common good," the Green leader stated.
Aras also expressed gratitude for the efforts of all security forces, emphasizing their crucial role in maintaining our freedom rights. "We strongly condemn any form of violence against security personnel. It's reprehensible and shameful for anyone to celebrate or exploit the murder of Laur for political gain," she commented.
The amendment to the state civil servants law also included the previously announced abolition of the position of police inspector.
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- The CDU, along with the Greens in the Baden-Württemberg parliament, have supported efforts to increase compensation for police officers facing physical harm on the job.
- In Baden-Württemberg, Interior Minister Thomas Strobl (CDU) has been advocating for better support for police officers in the face of increasing threats and attacks, especially in the southwest region, including cities like Stuttgart and Mannheim.
- The recent parliamentary amendment to the state civil servants law includes provisions for compensating victims of attacks on police officers, even if they are perpetrators with mental health issues, substance abuse problems, or unidentified perpetrators.
- The tragic death of Officer Rouven Laur in Mannheim, who was stabbed while intervening in a protest by the Islam-critical group Pax Europa, has highlighted the dangers faced by police officers.
- The amendment also saw the discontinuation of the police inspector position, which was announced earlier, as part of the law's changes.
- Muhterem Aras, the Landtag president and a member of the Greens, honored the memory of Officer Laur during a moment of silence in parliament, expressing sympathy for his family, friends, and colleagues and thanking all security forces for their vital contributions to maintaining freedom and security in Baden-Württemberg.
