To ease the burden on the Viennese police in guarding embassies and particularly sensitive buildings, a new unit is now being formed: the Property Protection Police. The training starts in June. The first property protection police officers are expected to take up their duties in December.
Minister of the Interior Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) and Director of the Federal Police Michael Takacs announced on Tuesday the first details about the new force, which has been discussed for years. The short six-month training course covers the most important core competencies for police officers. “If a police officer protecting property sees a handbag robbery while at work, he can report it himself and arrest the perpetrator,” the director of the Federal Police gave an example. “But he won’t be able to handle the case himself,” Takacs said.
The selection process for the property protection force is basically analogous to that for the uniformed patrol service, “but also includes other performance parameters,” Takacs explains. If you wish to transfer to regular patrol duty you will need to go through the admission process again, but individual modules can be credited according to the Home Office. It is already possible to apply to the police for property protection.
At the same time, it was emphasized that we are “one family”: property protection officers will wear the same uniform as police officers. Until the new unit is installed, the federal military will continue to provide security assistance.
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.
