Mindelheim - Now it's completely official: On Wednesday last week, numerous guests of honor said goodbye to Mindelheim's police chief Gerhard Zielbauer in the forum after almost ten years in office and at the same time welcomed Dagmar Bethke's successor.
"Mr. Zielbauer, you are now head of the Mindelheim police station," the female voice on the other end of the phone line is said to have said at the end of October 2011.
The unexpected call came from the Ministry of the Interior in Munich; Dr.
Claudia Strößner, today police chief of the police headquarters Swabia South / West and head of 36 departments.
Zielbauer then asked whether he was given time to think about it.
This was denied to him, however, and he took office in the Frundsberg city on November 1st.
"Nice and good time"
Today, almost ten years later, Zielbauer's conclusion about his time in the Mindelheim office is positive - and that thanks in particular to his "team" from the police station and his deputies, on whom he has always been able to rely, according to the departing head of the department. “I feel very much at home in Mindelheim, it was a nice and good time.” But the 61-year-old also makes no secret of the fact that there have been difficult working days - and some that have really burned in. "What we experience is a tough reality."
And so Zielbauer spoke in front of the numerous guests of honor in the forum about road accidents with fatal results and the associated fate for the families concerned. “You gnaw on it for a long time. You will never fully process something like that, "Zielbauer said shortly before Ash Wednesday, his last day of work, in an interview with Wochen KURIER about an accident at Markt Rettenbach (November 2016) - at that time, four teenagers crashed into a tree with a car and been torn to death. Despite the immense tragedy, Zielbauer acted in an exemplary manner, said Claudia Strößner: "You drove over there straight away and kept your backs free for your colleagues."
Meanwhile, a large-scale operation in January 2020 ended happier when a 38-year-old threatened to “blow everything up” in Mindelheim's old town. 70 emergency services were on site, including, of course, the Mindelheim police chief. In the end, the 38-year-old was overwhelmed. "Thank God that went well," said Zielbauer, who on the one hand conceded "a little luck" on the part of the emergency services, but on the other hand praised the good organization of the blue lights and especially the good communication with each other in his 420 square kilometer service area. What Zielbauer criticized at this point: The lack of respect for emergency services, especially for the volunteers at the BRK and fire brigade. "Without the volunteer work, our security structure could no longer exist," warned the 61-year-old.
That is why Zielbauer, together with blue light organizations, launched the MUT award (“People and Deeds”) in 2012, which honors courageous first aiders and lifesavers. The new construction of the Mindelheim police station in 2015 and the introduction of contact officers in the communities of Kirchheim, Pfaffenhausen, Erkheim and Markt Rettenbach in 2013 also fell into the Zielbauer era. The mayors Franz Rentfle (Pfaffenhausen), Susanne Fischer (Kirchheim), Christian Seeberger (Erkheim) and Hermann Simon (Markt Rettenbach) came to the official change of office at the top of the department.
Dagmar Bethke now wants to continue this “great network”, even though the new head of the department, who has been officially in office since April, also brings many new ideas to Mindelheim. Bethke describes her start as “nice and easy”, because she felt great solidarity in the “extraordinary team” right from the start - but a portion of patience and forbearance was also necessary, because the “change to the grassroots” also had its challenges brought with it, says Bethke. Among other things, she almost had to learn how to handle identification services again, and a lot has changed over the years with digital radio.
Bethke's career began in 1989 with the Bavarian border police in the upscale female criminal service. "At that time I still had to prove that I was the better man," explains the PI director today. After her studies and several stations in Kempten, Bethke took on a position in the fight against crime when the police headquarters in Swabia South / West were re-established in 2008. As the police officer for crime victims, she was responsible, among other things, for supporting victims of physical and domestic violence until she moved to Mindelheim and initiated several initiatives - and apparently quite energetically, because, as Claudia Strößner revealed, Bethke's zest for action was partly “ exhausting for superiors ”. "But you have to be if you are passionate about something," said Strößner and emphasized:“I have always admired you from afar.” To express this, the police chief had brought a surprise to Mindelheim and announced to the guests of honor that Bethke was being promoted to chief superintendent.
"Mr. Zielbauer, can't we make you an offer?"
Bethke was then welcomed to the city of Mindelheim by the second mayor, Hans Georg Wawra.
Wawra made a tempting offer - albeit with a twinkle in his eye - when he said goodbye to Gerhard Zielbauer: "Can't we make you an offer with a small three-digit salary allowance or a one-room apartment in Mindelheim to keep you here?" Asked Wawra.
The retired teacher then awarded a certificate for Zielbauer - with a one with three stars.
District Administrator Alex Eder also thanked Zielbauer for his work and emphasized that the demonstrably high level of security in the district is an important part of the mosaic for the quality of life in the Unterallgäu.
Eder then wished “good luck with your new life task” to Dagmar Bethke, with whom the district administrator had already discussed security-related issues several times over the past few months.
By the way, Bethke has planned around seven years for this: "I want to spend my professional retirement years here in Mindelheim."
Marco Tobisch
