“A dose of fear sometimes protects better than a bulletproof vest,” says police officer Katharina Steiner. Image: cnb
September 28, 2023 1:00 p.m. Katharina Steiner completed the first class at the Winterthur Police School where women were admitted
Katharina Steiner spent her entire professional life working for the Winterthur city police. Now the first female police officer in the Stapo is retiring.
City Police It’s not that easy to make an appointment with Katharina Steiner because she has a lot to do. “I have decided not to hand over any pending tasks and to process everything.” Since the police moved to the new building on Obermühlestrasse, Steiner has been working at the counter, which she already did at the Obertor. “You never know what to expect.” Steiner worked on patrol until mid-2019, when she moved to the office for health reasons.
Steiner is the first female police officer in the Winterthur city police force to have worked as a police officer for her entire career. She is now taking early retirement at the age of 58 for personal reasons.
The handshake is firm, the gaze direct. With quick steps she leads the way into the meeting room. “Don’t you write anything,” she will say at one time or another during the conversation, but then continue to tell the story anyway and immediately put it into perspective again if information could be perceived distortedly by the population.
Police school with women for the first time
On April 1, 1987, Katharina Steiner joined the Winterthur city police and completed the police school on Badgasse. “This was the first class at the police academy where women were admitted,” remembers Steiner. At that time there were concerns about whether women were up to the job, especially on a physical level. “Yes, I was a pioneer,” she says. Today the concerns have been dispelled.
The swearing in took place in March 1988. Like all graduates at the time – there were only three women there – she was assigned to a security police service group. This was responsible for patrol duty. “We were confronted with a wide variety of operations, be it traffic accidents, burglaries, crimes against life and limb, alarm systems being triggered and much more.” My own observations were often included. “You do your own thing,” says Steiner pragmatically.
“We are also service providers”
Before Spitex was so well developed, calls often came in when, for example, seniors had fallen. The police helped to “reposition” the people, even though it wasn’t part of the core task. These people were very grateful. “We are also service providers and if no one else is there to help, then the police will help.”
The desire to become a police officer arose when I was a teenager. Steiner attended an emergency aid course at the cantonal school, which was given by a medical specialist from the Stapo. This is how she came into contact with the police. “The spark ignited.” As a child, Steiner had planned to marry a farm boy and become a farmer.
In order for him to become a police officer, he needed a push from his father. Steiner was in Canada when the police academy position was advertised. “If you want to be a police officer, you have to come home,” said the father, whereupon Steiner got on the next plane to apply. “Back then, you needed a handwritten CV,” remembers Steiner. At the beginning at the Obertor police station there were neither separate cloakrooms nor showers. However, these deficiencies were quickly remedied and the equipment was adapted to the female anatomy over time. She rarely experienced any disadvantages. “No matter whether you’re a man or a woman, you shouldn’t be afraid.” “A certain amount of fear is better life insurance than a bulletproof vest.” There is no point in putting yourself in danger and running alone into the dark, for example. Steiner went through various positions, for example in 2005 she was in the special service, where she took on investigative tasks in civilian clothes.
Formerly a pencil, now a tablet
“I have always felt comfortable in my job,” says Steiner. In the past, the sidewalks in Winterthur were folded up at 11 p.m. due to pressure from large industrial employers. “Today the 24-hour society is making itself felt.” While pads and pencils were previously used, tablets are now available. What is much more important, however, is human interaction. “In general, respect from person to person has decreased.” This has a massive impact on police work. “The cases per 1000 inhabitants have clearly increased. More people also live in Switzerland and Winterthur.” In contrast, the corps has only grown marginally.
Steiner comments cautiously on the many leadership changes in the city police: “There have already been some desires to leave.” But when she was assigned to a “brilliant group of security police” in 2012, the joy of working was back. In general, she enjoyed working with most of the police officers and, of course, joked sometimes.
Rebberg fondue in sight
After retirement, the first thing to do is work around the house. “My husband and I have a small vineyard in the Zurich wine country, a nice hobby.” A tradition is to cut at least two to three vines on Christmas Eve, even in terrible weather. “Afterwards we each enjoy a fondue in the Rebhüsli.”
Claudia Naef Binz
2023-09-28 11:09:42
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