Inaugural visit by the new head of Offenbach police station

Lord Mayor Dr. Felix Schwenke and Head of Public Order Paul-Gerhard Weiß recently welcomed the new head of Offenbach Police Department, Wilhelm Schmits, to Offenbach Town Hall. Marc Göbel, acting head of the Offenbach police department, accompanied the new head of the police station, who has been working in this role on a temporary basis since January 1, 2025 and permanently since April. Lord Mayor Dr. Felix Schwenke: "Safety in our city cannot be taken for granted, but is largely thanks to the good work of the police. The close cooperation between the various authorities is also an important addition. This is important to me - not just because it's about safety, but because trust in a city begins where people feel they are taken seriously. It's great that the Offenbach police station is run by someone who knows Offenbach - not just from the map, but from his own experience. My grandfather was a police officer himself - I grew up with respect for this profession. I know how demanding police work is - all the more reason for me to wish the new head and of course all the officers involved all the best for this important task."

The 55-year-old police officer, who was born in northern Germany, began his career in Offenbach after completing his training in 1991. He has therefore been familiar with the city for a long time - both professionally and personally. As a squad leader, he was deployed in both the city and the district of Offenbach for many years. He has spent the past ten years working in the Main-Kinzig district, including five and a half years as head of the Hanau I police station. His return to Offenbach is associated with a clear attitude: "I am very pleased to be back in Offenbach - and now to be taking on responsibility for this city in the role of precinct commander and continuing to contribute to Offenbach's positive development."

Lord Mayor Schwenke, Head of Public Order Weiß, Precinct Manager Schmits and the acting head of the Offenbach Police Directorate, Marc Göbel, used the visit to discuss the cooperation between the city and state police. They took a special look at the joint foot patrols in the city center. Göbel praised the smooth operation and close coordination between colleagues. Head of Public Order Paul-Gerhard Weiß confirmed this: "Security can only be achieved together. That is why it is important to us that the city police, public order office and state police continuously pull together, recognize problems at an early stage and act in a coordinated manner. This also applies to cooperation with our other authorities such as the building inspectorate, for example within the framework of the working group on benefit abuse. Our cooperation in Offenbach is a real model for success that we are continuing to strengthen."

The cooperation between the municipal public order office and the municipal and state police has a long tradition in Offenbach - both in averting danger and in preventative work. A municipal prevention structure with round tables has been in place in Offenbach since 2001. Regular situation discussions, coordinated operational priorities and joint public relations work are part of everyday life.

Two years ago, cooperation between the Offenbach police department and the Offenbach municipal police was further strengthened by introducing a joint patrol on foot in the city center. The current Lord Mayor Felix Schwenke had already called for such a joint patrol on foot through the city center during his time as Head of Public Order. The current head of the public order department, Weiß, and Lord Mayor Schwenke then continued to campaign for this with the state until the desired result was achieved. The current figures on crime trends also show that the cooperation is having a broad impact: "Almost 1,700 fewer crimes were registered last year and street crime fell by over 20 percent. The close coordination between our authorities makes a very concrete contribution to safety in Offenbach," concluded Weiß and Schwenke.