Much remains unclear - Police union on the traffic light coalition's security package: "We expected more"

Much remains unclear - Police union on the traffic light coalition's security package: "We expected more" Article from FOCUS Online • 10 hours • 2 minutes reading time Police cordon off the crime scene after the attack in Solingen The federal chairman of the German Police Union (GdP), Jochen Kopelke, is dissatisfied with the federal government's security package. In an interview with the “Bayerischer Rundfunk” Kopelke said: “We as the police union expected a lot more.” The package falls short of the GdP’s expectations, particularly when it comes to tightening gun laws, said Kopelke: “We called for simplification in the area of ​​gun laws. Anyone who reads the package of measures now will see that it has become small and small again. The actual aim of our union was: make it simpler! Make it stricter! And thereby make it easier to handle!” Many things are now unclearly regulated when it comes to the knife ban, said Kopelke in an interview: “Now, for example, the person is the decisive factor, for whom special bans may be imposed again. The knife is also relevant – a switchblade and not other knives. Now the location is relevant – a folk festival and not the city center. That was the idea, to create simpler rules that our society understands (…) and that the police have a basis for taking away.” Kopeleke criticizes inadequate staffing of the police In addition, Kopelke criticized the inadequate staffing of the police: "At the moment we are finding that the need for police officers is incredibly high, police are being called for everywhere. We cannot cover that. (..) That is also one of the major criticisms of this package: Normally, such packages with legal changes and declarations of intent are also introduced in parallel with start-up funding so that implementation is realistic." However, this was not announced, according to the union leader. Police welcome expanded powers for using internet data The planned expansion of powers for using internet data in police work, on the other hand, is met with great approval by Jochen Kopelke: "Finally! From now on, the Federal Police and the Federal Criminal Police Office are allowed to do something that has long been standard in some federal states. (...) that makes sense. But that was already an issue before Solingen, because journalists found a RAF terrorist simply by comparing images on the internet, while we in the police were not allowed to do that at all."