The Poles are facing Europe Head-On:  

German Young Police Group pays Polish colleagues a visit

( Warsaw, Poland, September 21th, 2006 )

Being the most populated new EU-member state, soon to become the outer-border state of the European Union and its capitol being home to the headquarters of the EU Border Agency, Poland makes out for the perfect introduction course to new police challenges. The Young Police Group of the German Police Union (GdP) accompanied by EuroCOP Head of Office Jan Velleman, therefore decided to pay Warsaw, the capitol of Poland, a visit in late September.

The official purpose of the visit however, was to plan a seminar for young police officers in Warsaw in June 2007. In order to do so the German Young Police Group visited not only representatives of the Polish Police and Police Union, but also the newly established EU Border Agency Frontex.

Frontex has a lot of challenges to face at this point in time; the operations around the Mediterranean Sea and the support of countries facing illegal immigrants, like Spain. Frontex works in this area through its departments “Operations”, supported by the department “Training” which publishes information and educational material to support individual European countries in their efforts.

The Young German Police Group also had the privilege to visit the Headquarters of the Polish Police and to get a short introduction of what it takes to become a police officer in Poland. The police education starts with a ten-month intensive training and is concluded by a three year probation period carried out in a local police district.

The Polish Police was very proud to present its centre of operations and emergency call centre in Warsaw, which gathers video material from 150 cameras all over the city, and can also be operated by remote if necessary.

The following day the Young German Police Group visited their Polish colleagues in the Polish Police Union, NSZZP, which according to Polish law is the only Police Union allowed to exist. Although there is no young police group within the Polish Police Union yet, there is a wish to establish one. The Polish Police is, like many others, trying to undergo a rejuvenation process and they are looking for all means to attract new young colleagues to the police force.

One way of informing young people in Poland about crime-prevention is through culture. The Polish Police have put up two plays all over Poland, with the police themselves as actors and partially writers, dealing with subjects like drug addiction and domestic violence.

Last but not least a meeting was set up with the Vice Director of the Police in Poland who spoke with enthusiasm about improving the conditions for police officers to raise the attractiveness of the job.

(Contributed by Nils Torben Zimmerman, GdP Young Police Group)