The turquoise-green federal government wants to step up the fight against environmental crime and is setting up its own task force for this purpose. To increase effectiveness, duplication of efforts must be eliminated and friction between authorities reduced. The goal is to get more convictions for environmental criminals.
“About 500 carefully trained environmental police officers already roam the countryside to protect nature and punish environmental crime,” interior minister Gerhard Karner assures. The focus of these operations: air and water pollution, but also soil pollution and uncovering illegally dumped waste. 30 specialists stationed in the national detective agencies also contribute to the efficiency of searches and investigations.
Together with the ministries of Agriculture and Justice, the Ministry of the Interior now wants to intensify the fight. Karner promises a larger pool of researchers and the networking of previously separate research areas. There are also plans to professionalise crime scene investigations with special attention to carefully securing evidence. A statement for an accompanying action plan was signed in the Council of Ministers on Wednesday.
“Prevent, Investigate, Punish”
The permanent task force will be established across the authorities, Karner said in the press lounge after the cabinet meeting. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is in charge. In the future, cooperation between all authorities and NGOs at federal and state level should be intensified “to prevent, investigate and punish environmental crimes accordingly”.
In addition to the 30 environmental specialists, there are about 500 specially trained officers who focus on environmental crimes, says Karner. They do want to expand the pool of detectives and train additional agents. Crime scene work must also be intensified in the regions. For this, Karner thinks of special groupings of crime scenes – “from Lake Constance to Lake Neusiedl”.
Too little evidence collected
Each year, the executive branch’s “rangers” file 1,500 environmental criminal charges. The convictions are manageable, said Justice Minister Alma Zadić (Greens). This is often due to insufficient evidence being collected. There must now be more cooperation in this area and the various governments must make their expertise available. Networking has a huge advantage, argued the Minister of Justice.
Environmental protection is a “high priority” in Austria, Zadić stressed. And environmental crime is only profitable as long as the perpetrators can count on not being caught. In the future, every effort will be made to hold those responsible for environmental crimes accountable, Zadic stressed.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
