With attitude and a lot of passion - Head of the Public Order Office Frank Weber retires after 45 years
02.07.2025 – After 45 years in the city administration, Frank Weber, Head of the Public Order Office, is retiring. Born in Offenbach, he managed the third-largest office in Offenbach's city administration with 140 employees. "I have always enjoyed working here," says Frank Weber. "The people in our city expect safety, cleanliness, order and that the city and state do everything they can to ensure this."
Under his leadership, the city police became more visible: new structures, more staff and an additional service group for special tasks. "The transparency of our work on the streets is important to me. The regular weekly and monthly reports on the work of the municipal and traffic police are well received by the public." He also campaigned in the working group of Hessian public order officers for bodycams for prevention and for the self-protection of the municipal police. "The legal basis is now in place and procurement can take place once the city budget has been approved."
The traffic police have also been given additional tasks and more personnel. Investments in technology and training have improved the monitoring of speed, parking spaces and school routes. One example of this is the introduction of the bicycle patrol in April 2025.
In the interview, Weber also emphasized the great importance of close cooperation with the state police. "In order to achieve maximum safety for our citizens, we as a city need to work closely with the police," says Weber. "On the basis of an agreement, we have further intensified cooperation between the state and city police over the last two years through daily joint services lasting six hours. The closely coordinated joint security and prevention patrols are very popular with citizens."
At the same time, Weber and his team also focused on small measures - such as banning the flea market at the Ringcenter. "That put a noticeable end to the stressful traffic chaos for local residents," says Weber.
Now Frank Weber is handing over responsibility. "The well-being of my home town is close to my heart. My aim has always been to improve the quality of life and quality of stay for the people of Offenbach." In this interview, he looks back with gratitude, pride and - also with regard to his employees - a touch of melancholy.
His beginnings in the city administration
As a newly qualified graduate in public administration, Weber started as deputy head of the immigration office in 1983. "Here I was confronted with human destinies and had to make responsible official decisions for the first time."
This was followed by almost two decades in the former road traffic office. As division and department head, Weber was responsible for traffic technology such as traffic signal systems, parking ticket machines, red light and speed enforcement as well as special uses and events. "Road safety, especially for children, was my top priority at the time. The challenge was to ensure the flow of traffic with all the different measures."
Weber cites some of the key projects during his time in office: the traffic management during the construction of the S-Bahn city line in the 1990s, the comprehensive introduction of 30 km/h zones in residential areas, temporary speed limits in front of schools, residents' parking in the city center, green arrows for right-turners and the opening of one-way streets for cyclists where it was safe to do so. "With the first traffic computer, a bus acceleration program and traffic-dependent traffic lights, we have made traffic flow more smoothly - without neglecting the safety of children, pedestrians and cyclists."
"Shaping instead of managing"
Weber moved to the public order office in 2006. He took over as head of the office in 2022. Shortly after moving to the public order office, he expanded the waste law department and established waste investigators. "People feel more comfortable and safer in a clean environment," says Weber. In cooperation with the GBO and the Office for Public Relations, he initiated the introduction of the defect detector in Offenbach in 2012. He set further accents with the obligation to carry dog waste bags and campaigns against illegal graffiti.
Weber also helped to expand the working group on benefit abuse. "I really enjoyed that, because it doesn't exist in many cities and I'm particularly proud of it," says Weber. Among other things, the working group deals with over-occupancy of properties, criminal offenses such as fraud or tax evasion.
The mayor at the time, Horst Schneider, also entrusted him with municipal prevention work. "At the time, it wasn't clear to me what this meant and what scope it would give me. However, I soon realized that this was exactly my thing. I was able to support urban society in other ways. 'Designing instead of managing' suited me and was fun!" says Weber.
Weber used the newly created structures to improve networking between the city, police, schools and organizations and for closer communication with citizens. "We can only take targeted action if we know where the shoe pinches," says Weber. Together with the Förderverein Sicheres Offenbach, he established the Peoples Theater in 2006. In 2010, the project received the Hessian Prevention Award. He has also implemented campaigns such as road safety weeks at schools, violence prevention seminars with the city and police and the annual Offenbach Prevention Day at the Ringcenter.
Difficult topics such as religious extremism were also tackled. For example, through a counseling service in cooperation with the Violence Prevention Network. From 2017, Offenbach took part in the federal "Live Democracy!" program, which enabled numerous other projects with young people and school classes.
Looking back on the prevention work, Weber says: "I got to know many committed people who put their heart and soul into helping others who didn't always have it easy. An urban society needs mutual respect, it needs cohesion instead of polarization. Recognizing needs and providing support for other people, both large and small, ultimately creates quality of life. I am delighted that I was able to contribute a little to this!"
From roll boxes and index cards to more digital administration
The changes in everyday working life over the four decades are enormous for him. "Back then, we worked with index cards and huge filing cabinets. A lot of things were analog - I don't want that anymore," he said with a laugh.
Today, many things are digital: business registrations can be made online, and since 2023, new software has been bundling documents, information and notifications and is linked to mobile applications. New control center software makes work easier for the municipal police. Since December 2024, it has also been possible to submit warnings and statements online.
"Letting go is not easy"
"The closer we get to leaving, the more melancholy I feel," admits Weber. He will miss one thing above all: the people. The colleagues with whom he worked for many years in a spirit of trust, managers and companions. "It was always important to me to achieve something together with people, because then you achieve more." During his general period of service, he not only developed professional partnerships, but also personal friendships.
And yet he is still looking forward to what lies ahead: more time for his family, for his grandson, for his 94-year-old mother. And, of course, for hobbies such as tennis, cycling, hiking, traveling, photography - and reading, "which has been neglected far too much. I am delighted to have more opportunities."
He is deliberately taking a cautious approach to the transition to the new office: "I'm not giving her any advice. I show her how I have worked. Everyone has to find their own way." However, he hopes that the needs of the people in our city will continue to be the focus and that the potential of existing networks and our employees will be recognized and further promoted.
Frank Weber is leaving - "with a smile and a tear in his eye", but also with pride. For him, the public order office not only stood for safety and order, but also for attitude, humanity and cohesion.
Background Ordnungsamt
With around 140 employees, the Public Order Office is one of the largest offices in the Offenbach city administration and is very broadly based in terms of its range of tasks compared to other public order offices in Hesse. The municipal and traffic police work in shifts around the clock. Its responsibilities range from hazard prevention, traffic monitoring and trade supervision - supplemented by responsibilities in weapons, emissions, dog and waste legislation and, more recently, controls in accordance with the Consumer Cannabis Act.
The office is also responsible for parking space management, manages the city's traffic technology including parking ticket machines, speed and video surveillance and approves special uses such as outdoor catering or events. Local prevention work and cleanliness are further focal points.