As of: February 6, 2024, 4:51 a.m
By: Stefan Aigner
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There has been a municipal security service in Regensburg for 14 years.
An activity report has now been presented – only for the second time since its inception.
Regensburg - 81 square kilometers, 150 green spaces and 200 playgrounds - this is the brief description of the area of operation of the “Municipal Order Service” in Regensburg, which is also affectionately known as “KOS”.
For the first time in twelve years and only for the second time since the introduction of the security service, whose field staff have been on duty since October 2009, the Regensburg city council has now received a detailed activity report.
The employees of the municipal public order service in Regensburg, among others, want new cars.
© Oswald/Imago
Activity report of the security service: Particularly topical due to the security situation at the main train station
The Greens submitted a corresponding application at the end of last year.
In view of the debate about security in the area around the main train station and an increase in crimes in the past year, the topic is particularly topical.
Demands according to which the KOS in Fürst-Anselm-Allee – called “Mushroom Park” by young people and “the Görlitzer Park of Regensburg” by ÖDP city councilor Joachim Graf – could make a greater contribution than before to ensuring public safety there , but apparently cannot be fulfilled.
This is not only suggested by the report presented by legal advisor Walter Boeckh.
Mayor Gertrud Maltz-Schwarzfischer (SPD) also emphasizes this.
Activity report of the security service: “It was never intended to be a police replacement.”
The KOS is currently on the road on Fürst-Anselm-Allee for four to five hours a day - that much time is only spent on special hot spots anyway.
Given the number of personnel and the size of the area of operation, more is simply “not affordable,” said the Mayor.
“It was never the intention to be permanently present at any point.”
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The city's public order service was “never intended to be a police replacement,” said Maltz-Schwarzfischer.
“The KOS cannot and should not solve such security situations on its own.” This can only be done in cooperation with the police.
The city law enforcement officers certainly have police-like powers.
The KOS may carry out ID checks, initiate administrative offense proceedings and impose fines and may issue expulsions.
Under certain conditions, law enforcement officers may also use “direct coercion”, i.e. violence, for example when it comes to preventing a crime or, as the report states, “to avert an impending danger”.
Activity report of the security service: 6,076 instructions for rule violations in 2023
The KOS issued 210 administrative offense reports last year.
A quarter of it was about violations in the catering industry - fines that have been legally imposed so far: 15,200 euros.
There were 216 warnings, which resulted in a total of 3,000 euros in fines.
“Violations of the Bavarian Roads and Highways Act, for example when relieving oneself in public, performing street music without a special use permit and disregarding the conditions in the special use permits” received “special attention”.
According to the report, 6,076 instructions were given for rule violations and 2,692 were sent off.
The police were called in in 21 operations.
Activity report of the security service: No statistics on complaints received
In addition to such details, there are also areas where no figures are available.
There is often talk of “complaint hotspots” or a “high density of complaints” in various green areas, in the center of the old town, in the area around the train station, at the Isarstrasse bus stop, at the BUZ in Burgweinting and on Landshuterstrasse in the Zeißstrasse area.
On the other hand, “no statistics are kept on the complaints received,” the report states.
“Therefore, numerical statements cannot be made about the extent of the complaint situation before and after the introduction of the KOS.
The city does not use a centrally managed complaint management system.”
(By the way: Our Regensburg newsletter regularly informs you about all important stories from the world heritage city and the Upper Palatinate. Sign up here.)
Activity report of the security service: “Subjective feeling of security increased”
Nevertheless, the report is convinced that "in general it can be said" that "due to the presence of the KOS on site - especially in the form of a foot patrol - negative situations for the citizenry have been reduced and the subjective feeling of security has increased significantly".
The security service is "a counterpoint to constantly increasing egoism, a lack of willingness to be considerate, acting out aggression under the influence of alcohol and the decline in one's own social control" and strengthens the subjective feeling of security in the population through its "visible presence (...)".
Activity report of the security service: “Constantly increasing aggressiveness and disrespect towards uniformed emergency services”
And although it is explained elsewhere that the KOS employees are exposed to insults at least once a day and a “constantly increasing aggressiveness and disrespect towards uniformed emergency services”, the own summary states elsewhere that they have “so far largely been treated by citizens “would be perceived and evaluated positively”.
Thomas Sperl, department head at KOS, complained to the city council about the security service's outdated vehicle fleet - consisting of an Opel Astra, a Skoda Octavia and a VW Bus T5, all of which were first registered eleven or twelve years ago.
It urgently needs to be replaced.
Activity report of the public order service: The request for body cameras fails in the Free State
The second wish that Sperl formulates is aimed at the Free State of Bavaria, where - in contrast to other federal states - there is currently no legal basis for equipping the KOS with body cameras.
It is also noteworthy that there are no clearly regulated standards for the employees of the municipal security service, who are responsible for averting danger and are allowed to use coercive measures.
“In Bavaria there is no training specifically for security services,” says department head Sperl.
“This exists in other federal states.” That’s why you’re forced to take care of it yourself.
Activity report of the security service: No clear training standards in Bavaria
First, new employees are sent to the Bavarian administrative school for a “basic course,” then they receive several de-escalation training courses and then they are sent to external companies “to train for the equipment.”
This is “the basic course”, which – depending on previous training – is supplemented by a certificate or an employee course.
For further training, there is “self-protection training” twice a month, i.e. self-defense courses and other de-escalation courses at the same time.
It's not easy to get a new employee "fully functional," says Sperl.
That will take at least a year.
Activity report of the security service: Desire for new cars and more staff
Currently, 13 of the 15 field positions in the security service are filled.
“In order to be able to respond appropriately to the current complaints and adequately cover all the necessary locations, the number of personnel would have to be increased further or at least the KOS patrol cars would have to be urgently replaced with new vehicles,” is the conclusion of the report.
A position plan application is in progress for the supplementary budget.
The legal officer's report goes on to say: “The KOS fundamentally lacks both the personnel capacity and the necessary tools to produce detailed situation reports, key statements, statistics and activity reports like those of the police authorities.
To do this, additional positions would have to be created in the office and funds would have to be made available for the necessary software.”
At least the debate in the administration committee on Thursday does not suggest that the city council would currently deny the security service any wish.
The Greens, CSU, SPD and ÖDP expressly thank the local law enforcement officers and ÖDP city councilor Graf is not the only one who asserts that if in doubt you simply have to spend more money.
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