Criminal service adapts to current challenges – criminal assistance services will begin operations on June 1, 2024 – further important steps by the end of the year
Vienna (OTS) – The crime situation in Austria is changing towards cybercrime: more than every tenth reported crime is related to the Internet. The criminal service of the Federal Police is adapting to these developments with the criminal service reform, because in addition to modern equipment and know-how, contemporary structures are essential to ensure the best possible security in Austria.
In a first step, on behalf of the Director General of Public Security, Franz Ruf, the criminal service reform will be concretely implemented with the implementation of the Criminal Assistance Service (KAD) and the Cybercrime Training Center (CCTC).
New technologies are used by criminals in almost all areas of crime. “The criminal service reform enables investigators to efficiently follow the analogue – but also the digital – traces of the perpetrators,” says Franz Ruf. “Through modern structures and deepening cyber skills, we are consistently combating all forms of crime on the Internet.”
Partly: Criminal assistance services: Strengthening the regions
An important innovation in this reform is the total of 38 criminal assistance departments (KAD), 19 of which will be operational on June 1, 2024 in all state police headquarters except Vienna. As of June 1, 2024, 174 employees will be available in criminal assistance services to deal with criminal investigations. They are a direct result of the strategic objective of strengthening the criminal service in the regions, especially in the area of cybercrime. The remaining 19 KAD will be operationally implemented in the federal states by December 2024.
“As an important link between the police stations and the state criminal investigation offices, the criminal assistance services will relieve the burden on our colleagues at the base. Rather, the criminal assistance services will offer even more professional support in the areas of crime scenes and cybercrime forensics and will perfectly complete the base-region-state-central office system,” said the director of the Federal Criminal Police Office Andreas Holzer.
The purpose of the KAD is to provide the criminal service at the city, district and police station level with more support in three central areas: crime scene work, IT forensics and prevention work. The latter area in particular has become increasingly important in the past, because prevention work is an important factor in the fight against cybercrime.
By pooling the strengths of several districts, the KAD can ensure 24/7 supply. As part of the criminal service reform, over 700 additional jobs will be created in the next few years.
Currently: Establishment of cybercrime training centers in all state criminal investigation offices
Crime on the Internet is increasing and demands specialist knowledge from police officers at all levels: from forensics to crypto investigations to the subject of the Darknet. In order to keep pace with these changes, the focus is particularly on training cybercrime specialists. That is why the nationwide establishment of nine cybercrime training centers (CCTC) in the state criminal investigation offices (LKA) is another central point of the structural criminal service reform. The first CCTC will also begin service in the LKA Upper Austria on June 1st.
The CCTC serves to prepare criminal service employees as best as possible for the challenges in the area of cybercrime. This affects both the employees in the police stations or the uniformed patrol service as first responders as well as full-time employees of the criminal service, such as those of the state criminal investigation offices. Modern and modular knowledge transfer is intended to strengthen the cyber fitness of all police officers who have to combat cybercrime.
Further resources on the topic:
Criminal service reform 2.0 (bmi.gv.at)
Questions & Contact:
Federal Criminal Police Office
Heinz Holub-Friedreich, BA
Press and Public Relations Office
+43 664 264 03 55
bk.presse@bmi.gv.at
www.bundeskriminalamt.at