Federal Police (Austria)

History

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.

In October 2021, the FP unveiled the Schnelle Interventionsgruppe (SIG) or the Rapid Intervention Group as a response to concerns that police response to serious incidents cannot be mobilized on time. The SIG is deployed in various cities in Austria. The SIG is under the Schnellen Reaktionskräfte (SRK) or Rapid Reaction Force with the Bereitschaftseinheit (BE) or the Standby Unit.

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 Federal Police works in partnership with the 19 municipal police agencies and other law enforcement agencies in Austria.

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:

• Vienna
• Styria
• Carinthia
• Salzburg
• Lower Austria
• Upper Austria
• Vorarlberg
• Tyrol
• Burgenland[[File:VW Touran II Polizei Österreich (Innsbruck).jpg|thumb|Federal Police [[Volkswagen Touran]]]]

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

Officers are also equipped with batons and pepper spray for use as a less lethal option.

Ranks and rank insignia

;Commissioners

;Leading officers

;Supervising officers and police officers

File:Bundespolizei Österreich Kragendistinktionen 2015 A1 4.png|Hofrat Senior Principal Legal Officer File:Bundespolizei Österreich Kragendistinktionen 2015 A1 3.png|Oberrat Principal Legal Officer File:Bundespolizei Österreich Kragendistinktionen 2015 A1 2.png|Rat Senior Legal Officer File:Bundespolizei Österreich Kragendistinktionen 2015 A1 1.png|Kommissär Legal Officer

File:Bundespolizei Österreich Kragendistinktionen 2015 M6.png|Chefarzt Chief Surgeon of the Ministry of Interior File:Bundespolizei Österreich Kragendistinktionen 2015 M5.png|Chefarzt-Stellvertreter Deputy Chief Surgeon of the Ministry of Interior File:Bundespolizei Österreich Kragendistinktionen 2015 M4.png|Chefarzt Chief Surgeon File:Bundespolizei Österreich Kragendistinktionen 2015 M3.png|Chefarzt-Stellvertreter Deputy Chief Surgeon File:Bundespolizei Österreich Kragendistinktionen 2015 M2.png|Vertragsarzt Contract Surgeon With 20 years service File:Bundespolizei Österreich Kragendistinktionen 2015 M1.png|Vertragsarzt Contract Surgeon

File:Bundespolizei Österreich Aufschubdistinktionen 2015 S3.png|Bundeskurat File:Bundespolizei Österreich Aufschubdistinktionen 2015 S2.png|Landeskurat File:Bundespolizei Österreich Aufschubdistinktionen 2015 S1.png|Bereichskurat

File:Bundespolizei Österreich Aufschubdistinktionen 2015 PM2.png|Kapellmeister File:Bundespolizei Österreich Aufschubdistinktionen 2015 PM1.png|Gastmusiker

Historical ranks

File:Bundespolizei distinktionen 2005 wachkörper.png|Ranks of the Federal Police guard body File:Bundespolizei distinktionen 2005 andere.png|Ranks for legal and police medical services and other uniformed staff

References

References

1. "List of national services responsible for border control".
2. "OSCE Policing Profile for the Austrian BundesPolizei". OSCE POLIS.
3. (22 October 2021). "Schnelle Interventions Gruppen(SIG) - BLO24.at".
4. (3 November 2021). "Schnelle Reaktionskräfte (SRK) starten in der Steiermark".
5. [https://www.bmi.gv.at/magazinfiles/2009/01_02/files/dienstwaffen.pdf Magazin ''Öffentliche Sicherheit'', Ausgabe 1/2 2009: „Verhältnismäßiges Einschreiten“ (Ministry of Interior)] (german)
6. "Uniform - Unterscheidungszeichen: Organe Des Öffentlichen Sicherheitsdienstes (Gem. § 5 Abs. 2 Zif. 3 UND 4 Spg) - Amtsärztlicher Dienst - Seelsorgedienst". [[Ministry of the Interior (Austria).
7. "Uniform-Unterscheidungszeichen (für Organe des öffentlichen Sicherheitsdienstes nach § 5 Abs. 1 Z 1 SPG ab 2015)". [[Ministry of the Interior (Austria).
8. (2012). "Uniform - Unterscheidungszeichen Laut Aktueller PUV".