Following the recent cuts to the police due to the pending federal budget for this year, the Ministry of the Interior apparently also wants to apply austerity measures to the police music bands. This is evident from a decree recently sent to the state police directorates (LPD), which is also available to the APA. The document orders the nine bands across Austria, among other things, a reduction in the basic hours contingent and a ban on performances abroad.

This refers to the amount of hours available to the music bands for performances and rehearsals. According to the decree, a 20 percent reduction is now planned.

Furthermore, "no performances abroad" or otherwise only with "application and approval" are to be carried out, as stated in the decree approved on Monday, which according to the ministry has been valid since March "until further notice." This means that the planned appearance of the Styrian band at a relevant festival in November is likely to fall victim to the austerity measures for the time being.

Cuts to Police Music: Exceptions for Funerals

In the future, there should also be no "planned deployments of police music" between Friday 8:00 PM and Monday 6:00 AM as well as on public holidays - "based on additional services." Exceptions are only for additional hours from Monday to Saturday with the arrangement of time compensation.

All other pre-planned deployments, which are to be paid on an overtime basis, are also canceled - "except for musical accompaniment of funerals in the sense of organizational culture," as stated in the decree. Furthermore, the Ministry of the Interior requires coordination with the responsible offices in the state police directorates for procurement purchases - "considering the dynamic budget situation."

Police Music Festival for 2026 Canceled

Last but not least, the Austrian police music festival originally scheduled for 2026 must be canceled. The event had previously taken place every two years. The decree now provides for an increase in the hosting interval to four years. Also, house concerts of the nine bands are reportedly already on the brink.

In the Salzburg State Police Directorate, there was even a "suspension of operations until further notice" ordered at times, as stated in an email from the Public Relations Office dated February 21, which the APA was able to view. According to reliable sources, the Ministry of the Interior is believed to have stopped the order. The advance information via email was a "completely normal procedure in the run-up to the decree," said spokesperson Hans Wolfgruber, head of the Public Relations Office, upon request on Thursday morning. The police music is "a valuable instrument and a fixed component in Salzburg," and a complete dissolution "was never an issue," the spokesperson clarified.

Anger Over Decree

Not only due to the situation in Salzburg, the mood among the 450 musicians nationwide is "at rock bottom," said a member of the music corps. They are being "reduced to funerals," was the general sentiment.

The amount saved through the cuts is marginal. "These are peanuts compared to the administrative costs for the federal police," it was said. Overnight stays for foreign performances are often paid for by the organizer, concerts domestically are usually scheduled during the week rather than on Sundays or holidays, and are not of excessive duration.

Ministry of the Interior Speaks of "Temporary Measures"

The police music is mainly recruited from regular service employees. Only in Vienna are they professional musicians.

The Ministry of the Interior recently referred to "temporary precautions." Because no budget for 2025 could be presented in 2024, "restrictive austerity measures must be taken" in all ministries, it was stated to the APA. The hoped-for savings potential of the nationwide measures was not disclosed even upon repeated inquiry. As recently reported, a reduction in overtime was ordered at the Vienna State Police Directorate. The ministry did not provide more specific details on the consequences of the overtime cuts.

(APA/Red)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.