Federal Police (Austria)
The Federal Police (Austrian German: Bundespolizei) is the national and principal law enforcement agency of Austria. The Federal Police was formed in July 2005 as one formal unit of police. In 2005, the Federal Police replaced the Austrian Federal Gendarmerie, which policed most of the country, and the Polizei which policed Austria’s major urban centres such as Vienna, Salzburg and Graz.[1] The Federal Police also serves as Austria’s border control agency.[2] The Federal Police works in partnership with the 19 municipal police agencies and other law enforcement agencies in Austria.
Federal Police Bundespolizei | |
---|---|
Agency overview | |
Formed | 1 July 2005 |
Employees | 30.900 |
Jurisdictional structure | |
Operations jurisdiction | Austria |
Governing body | Directorate General for Public Security |
General nature | |
Facilities | |
Stations | 1000+ |
Website | |
bmi.gv.at |
Command structure
The Federal Police is commanded by the Austrian Federal Ministry of the Interior. The Federal Minister of the Interior is the highest law enforcement authority. The Provincial Police Directorates - established as federal authorities in the provinces - are subordinate to the Federal Minister. District administrative authorities (i.e. authorities established in the provinces for indirect federal administration) are subordinate to the Provincial Police Directorates. There are nine separate provincial police directorates which correspond to the nine provinces of Austria. They are as follows:
Dependent on the division, the districts and cities are controlled by either a District Police Command or a City Police Command. These commands then operate through several police stations throughout the state.
Equipment
The standard issue sidearm of the Austrian Federal Police officers is the Glock pistol in 9mm Parabellum. The most common model used are Glock 17 and Glock 19 both being the Gen 3 models while EKO Cobra also gain the Glock 18 with full-auto capability for more firepower. Officers are also equipped with batons and pepper spray for use as a less lethal option.[3] Officers may also use Steyr AUG assault rifle, the Heckler & Koch MP5 and other similar heavy duty weapons required for specialist operations.
Vehicles
Ground vehicles
The ground vehicles currently used by the Federal Police include:
- Volkswagen Sharan
- Volkswagen Touran
- Volkswagen Passat
- Audi A6
- Volkswagen Golf estate
- Volkswagen Multivan
- Škoda Kodiaq
- Volkswagen Amarok
- Volkswagen Touareg
- Mercedes-Benz Sprinter
- Mercedes-Benz B180
- Mercedes-Benz C-Class
- Mercedes-Benz G-Class
- Ford Transit
- Škoda Octavia
- Nissan Pathfinder
- Mercedes-Benz O303
- BMW R 1200 RT
- Ducati Multistrada
- Sonderwagen 4
The Federal Police experimented with a Porsche 911 in order to crack down on motorway speeding. After a six-month test phase, the Federal Police decided not to order more 911s due to fact that there was not sufficient storage space for their equipment and the high-cost of the vehicles.[4]
Aircraft[5]
Aircraft currently used by the Federal Police include:
Ranks and rank insignia
- Commissioners
Austrian Federal Police[6] | |||||
Generaldirektor für die öffentliche Sicherheit | Landespolizei- Direktor |
Landespolizei- Direktor-Stellvertreter |
Abteilungsleiter Landespolizei- direktion |
Stadthauptmann | |
Commissioner general of public security | State commissioner | Deputy state commissioner | Assistant state commissioner | City police commissioner |
- Leading officers
General officers | Senior officers | Junior officers | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Austrian Federal Police[7] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
General Inspector general |
Generalmajor Deputy inspector general |
Brigadier Assistant inspector general |
Oberst Chief superintendent |
Oberstleutnant Superintendent |
Major Deputy superintendent |
Hauptmann Assistant superintendent |
Oberleutnant Divisional superintendent |
Leutnant Divisional assistant superintendent |
- Supervising officers and police officers
Supervising officers | Police officers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Austrian Federal Police[7] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Chefinspektor (Fgrp 7) Senior chief inspector |
Chefinspektor (Fgrp 6) Chief inspector |
Kontrollinspektor Divisional inspector |
Abteilungs- inspektor Sub-divisional inspector |
Bezirksinspektor' Station sergeant |
Gruppeninspektor (E2a) Sergeant |
Gruppeninspektor Sergeant Not in line of promotion |
Revierinspektor Senior constable |
Inspektor Constable |
Inspektor GFP Border guard constable |
Aspirant Probationary constable |
- Hofrat
Senior Principal Legal Officer - Oberrat
Principal Legal Officer - Rat
Senior Legal Officer - Kommissär
Legal Officer
See also
References
- "OSCE Policing Profile for the Austrian BundesPolizei". OSCE POLIS. Archived from the original on 2014-03-13. Retrieved 2008-03-30.
- "List of national services responsible for border control" (PDF).
- Magazin Öffentliche Sicherheit, Ausgabe 1/2 2009: „Verhältnismäßiges Einschreiten“ (Ministry of Interior) (german)
- "Polizei-Porsche kommt ins Museum - oesterreich.ORF.at". wiev1.orf.at.
- "Austrian Flugpolizei". Bundespolizei. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
- "Uniform - Unterscheidungszeichen: Organe Des Öffentlichen Sicherheitsdienstes (Gem. § 5 Abs. 2 Zif. 3 UND 4 Spg) - Amtsärztlicher Dienst - Seelsorgedienst" [Uniform - distinguishing signs: Organs of the public security service (according to § 5 paragraph 2 number 3 AND 4 Spg) - official medical service - pastoral service] (PDF) (in German). Bundesministerium für Inneres. Archived (PDF) from the original on 19 February 2022. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
- "Uniform-Unterscheidungszeichen (für Organe des öffentlichen Sicherheitsdienstes nach § 5 Abs. 1 Z 1 SPG ab 2015)" [Uniform distinctive signs (for bodies of the public security service according to § 5 Abs. 1 Z 1 SPG from 2015)] (PDF) (in German). Bundesministerium für Inneres. Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 April 2016. Retrieved 5 September 2016.
- "Uniform - Unterscheidungszeichen Laut Aktueller PUV" [Uniform - Distinguishing Ranks According to Current PUV] (in German). 2012. Retrieved 4 February 2023.