Attacks on youth welfare office employees: District council recommends examining security measures for youth welfare offices

After attacks on youth welfare office employees, the German District Council is calling for more security measures to be examined. “The districts take these threats very seriously,” said spokesman Markus Mempel. Extensive protective measures have already been taken in many places. After the act of Stade However, it is important that administrations review their security concepts again. They should also reassess the risk situations if necessary. »The protection of employees has top priority.«

The district council mentions access controls, protected reception areas, security personnel, alarm and emergency call systems and firm agreements with the district council as further security measures police. The job center already has many years of experience with this, Mempel continued. Security services are also deployed in youth and social welfare offices when difficult appointments or foreseeable threat situations occur. “There will still be no absolute security in open administrations and social institutions.”

Attacks in Finsterwalde and Stade

According to the District Council, the umbrella association of the 294 districts in Germany, aggression, threats and physical attacks have been part of everyday work in many district administrations for years. This particularly affects youth welfare offices, job centers, immigration authorities, social welfare offices and veterinary authorities. Particularly in child protection, there are often conflicts that cannot be predicted.

Recently there has been an increase in attacks against youth welfare office employees. On Thursday of this week, a man at the youth welfare office in Finsterwalde threatened an employee and set fire. A 35-year-old German was caught as a suspect and taken into custody. The man is said to have had flammable liquid with him. According to police, four people had to be taken to hospital because of suspected smoke inhalation. The Elbe-Elster district deployed a security service.

In Stade in Lower Saxony, a 45-year-old man is said to have killed six people in a mother-child group home at the end of June. Three of them worked in the youth welfare facility, three were employees of the Hanover region youth welfare office.