On Monday, Minister of Internal Security Henri Kox presented his reform plan for the Luxembourg Police to the Chamber of Deputies.
The majority parties express a certain optimism, even if they still admit that the Minister and the MPs will have their work cut out for them in the coming years, according to MP and president of the Parliamentary Commission for Internal Security Stéphanie Empain from the Green Party (Déi Gréng). Empain explained that even though it feels like everything is happening at once, there is a good dynamic and a lot of issues to be tackled: digitalisation, Visopol, recruitment, collaboration with the unions, collaboration with municipal officials, and the "Platzverweis" (the prerogative to expel beggars).
The biggest area of contention, however, remains recruitment. While the Minister is optimistic, the Christian Social People's Party (CSV) does not believe in the "miracle of 200 recruitments" in 2021. CSV MP Léon Gloden stated that he is sceptical that the government will be able to achieve this goal because, in his eyes, many factors have not been taken into account, such as pensions, parental leave, or sick leave. Gloden pointed out that it is already complicated today to have two to three patrols in some areas.
MPs are pleased that the Minister is considering the introduction of a section dedicated to the security industry in secondary schools, so that young people who wish to enter such a profession, whether as a police officer, prison officer or municipal officer, will have the opportunity to prepare for such a career at an early stage.
The highly controversial measure of the so-called "Platzverweis", i.e. giving police officers the right to force beggars to leave public places, does not go far enough for the CSV. While the Minister wants to limit the eviction to private access to residences, the CSV points out that there are often entrance gates that border directly on public areas, whether it be pavements or a pedestrian zone. The current draft bill would, in the eyes of the party, not solve this problem.
The Alternative Democratic Reform Party (adr) stressed that pressure from the public is increasing, leaving the government with no choice but to react. The police should be relieved, wherever possible. Domestic violence in particular must be approached differently, the party argued. A type of "social emergency service" should be introduced as a first responder, so that the police do not have to get involved immediately. adr MP Fernand Kartheiser pointed out that most of the time, such instances do not justify police intervention, but rather require a form of mediation.
The party also criticised the regionalisation of the police force, which often led to police officers taking a significant amount of time to arrive on site, depending on the location in the country.
The adr hopes that recruitment will ease this situation, but also demands that the competences of police officers should be increased. While the party also supports the "Platzverweis", it also demands that officers should be able to check identity cards.
