Interior Minister Gerhard Karner, Director General of Public Security Franz Ruf and Federal Police Director Michael Takács took stock of the Federal Police’s current personnel offensive on December 6, 2024.
“Austria needs police officers – and thanks to the Federal Police’s personnel offensive, we are more successful in recruiting than ever before,” explained Interior Minister Gerhard Karner. “Police reception has been completely modernized. We have implemented a bundle for this. This path we have chosen will continue in the coming year.”
General Director Franz Ruf: “This year we welcomed around 2,600 new police officers. We have therefore increased our staffing levels in the executive branch by more than 1,000 executive officers from 2023 to 2024. But as Director General of Public Security, I say very clearly that it is not enough just to ensure that we have enough staff. We also need to talk about topics such as the length of service model. And we must push forward reforms such as the criminal service reform in order to be able to consistently meet future challenges.”
Federal Police Director Takács: “Our police officers are the backbone of public security. Their daily work deserves the highest recognition and it is our job to support them with the best possible equipment – be it modern emergency vehicles, advanced protective clothing or technologies such as body cameras and smartphones.”
Applications increased by 80 percent
Police applications have increased by almost 80 percent since 2022. While there were 6,500 applications in 2022 and 6,800 in 2023, 11,500 women and men applied to the police in 2024. “In addition to these impressive numbers of applications, we have also made a lot of progress in terms of admission to the police academy,” said the Interior Minister.
In 2022, 1,450 police students began basic police training, in 2023 there were 1,740 and in 2024 almost 2,600, meaning there has also been an 80 percent increase in admissions since 2022.
Applications and admissions for Vienna
Despite the particular challenges on the job market in the federal capital, the Vienna police are extremely successful in recruiting interested people. This was achieved not least thanks to a modern recruiting center and a centrally located information store on Schottenring.
In 2022, 1,600 women and men applied for the Vienna State Police Department, in 2023 there were 1,760 and in 2024 3,500. 350 women and men were admitted in 2022, 415 in 2023 and 845 in 2024. In total, 1,610 police students were admitted to basic training in Vienna alone in the last three years; nationwide there were 5,780. In Vorarlberg the number of admissions was also doubled, from 42 last year to 87 this year.
Personnel offensive with numerous measures
The Austrian police, like many other areas of the public service and numerous companies, are affected by demographic changes. The Interior Department has therefore taken numerous measures in recent years to ensure that starting a career as a police officer remains attractive. These include, among other things, a modern tattoo regulation, a highly competitive salary during training or the reimbursement of climate tickets or class B driving licenses.
Younger generations also rely on uncomplicated and quick application methods, which is why the highly frequented one-click application to the police is also possible and popular. The interior department’s social media channels and 24/7 chat service count tens of thousands of interactions with interested parties, with the focus being on eye-level communication – whether at the information stand or on the Internet.
In order not to lose interested parties with a lot of potential due to individual weaknesses – for example in push-ups – the still necessary sports testing was shifted to training, where these deficiencies are addressed through targeted and individual coaching. Modern law enforcement training – e.g. through virtual reality operational training – makes the police school varied.
The chosen path will be consistently continued
The Interior Minister emphasized that it is planned to take on around 2,500 more police students next year. The award-winning “I can become one” campaign will also be continued in order to continue to inspire young and motivated women and men to join the police service.
“I would like to thank all the departments involved in the Ministry of the Interior and in the state police directorates, who tirelessly ensure that new blood is recruited in the police schools through all possible channels and in all possible ways,” concluded Interior Minister Gerhard Karner.