Offenbach city center to remain a safe place: City police to be further strengthened
09.04.2024
With the projects of the future concept, a task force for more cleanliness and order and faster coordination processes in the administration, the city of Offenbach is bundling its financial and human resources to further advance the development and upgrading of Offenbach's city center. The measures for the heart of the city also include prevention and hazard prevention by the city police. "Offenbach has steadily expanded its security architecture in recent years. With a view to the city center, we also significantly increased the number of police officers four years ago and introduced the 24/7 service. A year ago, a relatively new element was added in the form of joint special checks and foot patrols with the state police in order to have an even stronger presence on the streets in uniform. This even closer cooperation with the South-East Hesse Police Headquarters has absolutely proved its worth," emphasizes Paul-Gerhard Weiß, Head of the Public Order Department. "All measures are primarily aimed at prevention. Because if people are to enjoy coming to our city center, we need one and the other: We need to create new incentives and offers and we need to strengthen the feeling of safety. That is why we will continue to increase the number of city police officers this year and next," announced Weiß.
The recently published police crime statistics for 2023 reveal that the number of crimes per 100,000 inhabitants has remained at a similar annual level throughout the city over the past five years. With 7,357 registered cases per 100,000 inhabitants in 2023, it is significantly lower than in 2001 (12,539 cases per 100,000 inhabitants). Nevertheless, there are different trends for the individual criminal offenses. Drug-related crime has fallen by 3.5% compared to 2022, while juvenile crime has fallen by 7.4%. In contrast, the number of assaults increased by 0.7%. Robbery and extortion have increased significantly (+9.4%). Street crime also increased by 4.0 percent: street theft (1,179 cases, +3.9 percent); street robbery (53 cases, +12.8 percent). "The statistical figures underline the need for close cooperation between the city and state police. This has been an established and well-functioning practice in Offenbach for years," Weiß continued.
24/7 service of the city police
One year after the opening of the House of Juvenile Justice in the Kaiserpalais in April 2020, the 24/7 service of the city police was introduced so that the city can also make its contribution to people's safety. Since April 2023, a task force has been supplementing the shift operation with special services during the day, for example to secure school routes. Also since April 2023, the joint foot patrols of the city and state police have been on duty in the city center every day. With a fifth duty group, the city police were given additional time slots for further special operations and training for the officers from July 2023. Since then, the city and state police have started and finished their duties at the same time, which facilitates cooperation. In addition, traffic monitoring has already been increased from 12 to 16 people in 2021, in particular to sanction parking offenders.
The joint patrols by the city and state police are part of a concept for greater cooperation that was developed on behalf of the Chief Constable and Lord Mayor following the failure of the joint city patrol in 2022. In addition to foot patrols, it also includes numerous joint special checks. "As part of this collaboration, security patrols have been on the streets together for six hours a day for a year now," reports Frank Weber, Head of the Public Order Office. These six hours every day of the week correspond to just under a quarter of the joint patrol time. "The patrols focus on the market square and Wilhelmsplatz as well as other areas of the city center." How well the cooperation works is evaluated monthly by the heads of the Offenbach police department and the public order office.
The waste investigators make an important contribution
The refuse collectors from the public order office also make an important contribution to safety and well-being. Together with Stadtservice, there is a 48-hour litter-free guarantee. Campaigns against bulky waste, but also measures against littering, will soon be intensified again by the city. The city has been working with the main housing associations for years to remove illegal graffiti. "Communication with citizens is also an integral part of all measures," says Weber. This includes the local OB events, the former citizen alert system, which has since been replaced by the state police's warning app, the neighborhood management in the city districts, the city's complaint management system and the popular Offenbacher Mängelmelder.
The basis for effective prevention work is an established municipal prevention structure in Offenbach with the Prevention Steering Group, the round tables and specialist working groups and the Förderverein Sicheres Offenbach e.V., without which many prevention projects would not be financially viable. In addition, there are annual events such as the Blue Light Day and the Offenbach Prevention Day, which promote networking between those involved in prevention work as well as dialog with citizens. Numerous preventative measures have been continuously developed in recent years. These include the prevention of violence in schools (e.g. through the People's Theater), workshops for everyone as part of the "Gewalt-Sehen-Helfen" campaign, the working group on the abuse of benefits, in which the tax investigation department of the tax office and the building inspectorate in particular play key roles, the prevention of extremism, the "Offenbach Partnership for Democracy", the voluntary police service, video surveillance, the annual Blue Light Day, the temporary ban on alcohol on Herrnstrasse and the annual Offenbach Prevention Day. "We are also currently developing an action guide for authorities to use if people are suspected of being radicalized," Weber continues. "A guide for schools has already been developed by our specialist unit for the prevention of extremism."
However, the city does not want to rest on its laurels: the city police force will be strengthened by another five people this year, with a further five planned for 2025. The task force will be increased by three officers and a team leader, and the traffic police will be strengthened by 10.5 positions plus a team leader. "The further strengthening of the city police underlines the fact that the city will continue to give high priority to prevention, safety and order in the future," says Head of Public Order Weiß. The introduction of "bodycams" for the self-protection of city police officers is also under discussion. "Before we can make a recommendation for their introduction, however, we must first wait for the necessary legal basis from the state of Hesse," says Head of Public Order Weber.