The police in Gelsenkirchen has been without a boss for months. Meanwhile, juvenile delinquency in the city is on the rise.
Gelsenkirchen – Gelsenkirchen has a massive problem with juvenile delinquency: there are at several schools Minors downright on raids went. Also in the vicinity of the city center People are often the victims of violent crimes. The police have already had initial successes in their investigations. But: The position of management is vacant right now – and has been for a long time. The city has not had a police chief for more than seven months.
Gelsenkirchen police have been without a boss for months: vacancies in other cities resolved more quickly
Since August 1, 2022, the police headquarters has been temporarily managed by the senior police director. The period is particularly long. For comparison: In Krefeld, a new police chief was hired after about a month. The vacancy was also quickly filled in many other cities:
- Bielefeld: April 1, 2022 to September 30, 2022
- Essen: November 1, 2022 to January 22, 2023
- Hamm: June 1, 2021 to September 30, 2021
- Münster: April 25, 2022 to May 1, 2022
Gelsenkirchen has been without a police chief for months: criticism of Interior Minister Herbert Reul
The problem also provided a topic of conversation beyond the borders of Gelsenkirchen and is a topic in the state politics of NRW. With a view to the missing police chief, the two MPs Christin Siebel and Sebastian Watermeier (both SPD) asked the question as part of a small inquiry in the state parliament: What is Interior Minister Herbert Reul doing? Citizens and police officers must be able to rely on the state government to responsibly and quickly reassign the management of the authorities, according to the request. “However, Minister Herbert Reul does not appear to have taken any action to refute this impression and to reoccupy the line as quickly as possible,” said the politicians.
NRW state government: selection of police chief requires “great care”
But why is it taking so long in Gelsenkirchen right now? “In view of the major challenges associated with running a police headquarters, these require […] the greatest possible care,” said the NRW state government. Internal coordination is currently underway in Gelsenkirchen to fill the managerial position: “The state government will be submitted a personnel proposal for the replacement as soon as possible”. When electing the new chief of police, the focus is on two principles:
- The principle of selecting the best: The “suitability, qualification and professional performance” of the applicant.
- The measure of the “particular trust that the state government has in the potential leaders with regard to the best possible implementation of their security policy ideas”.
Robberies by teenage gangs: the Gelsenkirchen police set up an investigative commission
In the meantime, the Gelsenkirchen police are far from idle. The local police officers already had the Commission of Inquiry “King” was created specifically to combat juvenile delinquency. The result within a few months: 165 crimes, 92 suspects, most of them minors.
Juvenile crime in NRW: In 2022, every fifth suspect was under the age of 21
Gelsenkirchen is not alone in this. Residents across the country complain about problems with violent young people and children. Recently, for example, around two dozen took care of it riot kids for unrest in Hamm. The same is true in Oberhausen: there it has happened again and again in the past few weeks crimes committed by minors – especially in radius from Centro.
This coincides with the statistics recently published by the state government of North Rhine-Westphalia. Last year was every fifth Suspects younger than 21. Within just seven years, the number of suspects under the age of 14 increased by more than 50 percent. (mg)
