On Thursday, the National Council, with votes from the ÖVP and the Greens, decided to set up a complaints office against police brutality. As a separate organizational unit, it has extensive police powers. However, SPÖ and NEOS doubt its independence.
The complaints office will be housed in the Bundesamt für Prevention and Combating Corruption, which is part of the Interior Department. Given this proximity, the SPÖ and NEOS doubt the energy of the new hotline, while the FPÖ fears that the officials will be slandered.
In addition to an interdisciplinary composition of the investigative body, specialized training of officials is planned. To ensure that tasks are carried out in accordance with the law, an independent advisory board is set up in the Ministry of the Interior, which is not subject to instructions.
Karen pleased
Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) was pleased: “I think something good has been achieved in the interest of everyone.” His party colleague Wolfgang Gerstl spoke about the right of the police not to be suspected in advance. With this in mind, the bodycams were introduced. The complaints office is now the next step.
SPÖ and NEOS did not see it that way. Representatives of both factions were not convinced that the position falls outside the “classic security officer hierarchy” under the government bill. The ÖVP is in charge of the Interior Department and operates “systematic post-corruption,” argued Stephanie Krisper (NEOS). Sabine Schatz (SPÖ) also argued for an independent body.
FPÖ railed against “new Vernaderungstelle”
On the other hand, Werner Herbert, FPÖ mandatary and representative of police personnel, saw the project as an expression of the newfound contempt for the police officers. He feared a “new libel and change bureau” and objected to the participation of NGO representatives who placed the police under general suspicion. On the other hand, the expectation of the green Georg Bürstmayr is positive. “Nobody has to go to the police anymore to complain about a police attack,” he said
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.
