Save at Vienna Police - FPÖ for Money from Minimum Security
The financial resources saved in this way could be made available for the executive, said the head of the Vienna FPÖ, Dominik Nepp, to media representatives. Due to the pending federal budget, the state police department must drastically reduce overtime.
The mayor of Vienna, Michael Ludwig (SPÖ), is taking "700 million euros per year from the hard-working people" in the area of minimum security alone and paying it to people without citizenship. "If you stop paying it out, also link it to citizenship, a lot of money would be available to invest in the area of security," said Nepp. Such a sum "would pay for all the overtime of the Vienna police." Nepp spoke of a current "clear-cut at the police."
Directive from Management of Vienna Police
The APA recently reported on a directive sent by the management of the Vienna state police department to its leaders. It orders a cut in overtime by up to 30 percent and a "reduction/suspension" of Sunday hours along with other austerity measures. The background is the requirements of the Ministry of the Interior due to the still pending federal budget for 2025.
Werner Herbert, police unionist and FPÖ spokesperson for the public service in the National Council, also took the recent developments as an opportunity to criticize the Ministry of the Interior. He referred in this context to the still low staffing levels at the object protection police to relieve the executive in the guarding of embassies. In December, 16 instead of the initially planned 60 officers started as object protectors. The project is "another dud," said Herbert, from Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP). Contrary to the ministry's portrayal, a third of all police students would also leave the training before completion, said Herbert.
The Ministry of the Interior responded on Friday that 1,200 police students had been admitted in the federal capital alone in the past two years. In this context, an increase in the starting salary as well as the payment of the climate ticket and the driver's license were also mentioned. The assistance deployment of the federal army for object protection in Vienna will also be extended beyond March, it was said from the Ministry of the Interior.
Besides Vienna, savings are likely to be made in other federal states as well. The Ministry of the Interior recently remained reserved on this and referred to "temporary precautionary measures" due to the budget provisional. According to APA information, however, a verbal order is likely to have been given at a conference with the nine state police departments to save on overtime. In addition, the nine police music bands in Austria must also tighten their belts, as was made public on Thursday after a report by the APA.
5.6 Million Overtime Hours in the Ministry of the Interior
According to its own information, 5.6 million overtime hours were worked in the entire Ministry of the Interior last year. This is indeed a record, but the unions "have repeatedly expressed the wish in the past to reduce overtime." It is clear, however, that there will be no savings on security, it was said from the ministry.
(APA/Red)
This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.