Alarm raised at meeting Workload too high in Bonn criminal investigation department

Bonn · The police union looks back over 2019. The workload at the criminal investigation department goes far beyond what is tolerable. Chairman Udo Schott hands over his office to Dirk Lennertz.

 Symbolic image.

Symbolic image.

Foto: Benjamin Westhoff

Udo Schott, outgoing head of the Bonn Police Union (the GdP), sounded alarm bells at the general meeting that the workload within the criminal investigation department was far beyond a tolerable level. Other issues were also discussed.

■ Criminal investigation department workload: Despite declining crime figures, the workload at the criminal investigation department is increasing, according to Schott. The investigators are “completely exhausted”. Some of the officers had so many things on their desks that "they could no longer have an overview of the facts", Schott said after the meeting. Some colleagues even "break down because of the workload".

■ Personnel: 2,300 civil servants will be recruited nationwide over the next few years, Schott said. In addition, the GdP proposal to increase recruitment by the average number of student dropouts was taken up. As of 1 September, 2,500 trainee insepctors had been recruited – 129 of them in Bonn, Schott said.

■ Taser: Schott supported the GdP’s demand to equip security staff and shift workers with an electric service weapon, the so-called Taser. State policy had issued regulations for Taser use in the new police law. The task now is to procure the Tasers.

 Udo Schott (l.) and Dirk Lennertz.

Udo Schott (l.) and Dirk Lennertz.

Foto: Polizei

■ Procedural recording and management (Viva): According to Schott, the new system is “criticised unanimously by all users”. It is one of the biggest problems in all district police authorities. “This IT application is so complex and takes so much time that our investigation resources are estimated to be halved,” says Schott. User suitability should be the key word.

■ Change in head of the union: Udo Schott was in charge of the Bonner GdP for more than 22 years. With a view to his upcoming retirement, he is giving up his office on 1 January. The union members appointed Dirk Lennertz as his successor with more than 90 per cent of the votes in his favour. He is 51 years old, has a 22-year-old daughter and lives with his partner, also a policewoman, in Bad Honnef. Taking up the presidency is "a great challenge", says Lennertz. The 51-year-old sees the high burdens on officers, the introduction of the Tasers and the demand for Viva's practicality as the key themes at the start of his new job.

(Original text; Ayla Jacob, translation John Chandler)

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