Austria

Law Enforcement Agencies

The law enforcement community in Austria is comprised of a number of specialized agencies:

• The Bundespolizei (state/city police) is responsible for the uniformed patrol of large city jurisdictions.

  

• The Gendarmerie is responsible for patrolling the less populated countryside regions throughout Austria.
• The Bundeskriminalamt (national crime office) investigates all major crime incidents.
• The Zoll Wache (national customs office) provides coverage at the European Union borders and airports, ensures that international taxes are properly controlled and paid, and prevents human and contraband smuggling.
• The Schifffahrtspolizei (river and harbor police) patrol the rivers and harbors throughout Austria and control human and contraband smuggling along waterways.

These law enforcement agencies provide Austria, which experiences a relatively low level of crime and violence, with a professional workforce that is respected, effective, and rich in history and pride.

The Bundespolizei (State/City Police)

The Bundespolizei traces its roots to the 16th century, when in 1527, Kaiser Ferdinand I issued the New Policies (Polizey) and Rules of Craftsmen and Workers. These rules, or Polizeys, mandated that it was the responsibility of each craftsman and worker to assist the city prosecutor to apprehend violators and “dangerous strangers” and bring them to justice.

The recent history of Austria is considered to have commenced at the end of World War II and the 10 years following it. There was major reform as national and domestic security responsibilities returned to the government of Austria first in 1955 and again in 1993 after the collapse of the Soviet Empire in Eastern Europe.

The Austrian Bundespolizei (State Police) was created out of a need for a dedicated police agency in Austria's largest cities. It is responsible for the uniformed patrol and investigation of minor crimes in the 14 largest cities within Austria. These jurisdictions—Vienna, Innsbruck, Villach, Klagenfurt, Salzburg, Linz, Graz, Eisenstadt, St. Pollen, Wels, Steyr, Wiener Neustadt, Leoben, and Schwechat—are the most densely populated cities in this nation. There are presently 10,000 Bundespolizei officers ensuring public order and providing a uniformed presence. The largest Direktion (Regional Headquarters) is located in Vienna, which is headed by the civilian “Polizeiprasident” (Police Commissioner) and the uniformed “Generalinspektor” (Police Chief).

The Gendarmerie (National Police)

The Gendarmerie is Austria's oldest agency dedicated to law enforcement. The term Gendarmerie is based on the French term meaning men of arms. This complement of 15,000 patrols the nation's vast mountainous countryside. With more than 800 police stations, the Gendarmerie provides safety and security to 98% of the nation. In addition to patrolling the countryside and highways in uniform, the Gendarmerie has the job of patrolling the easternmost frontier of the European Union (EU), which presently borders Slovenia to the south, Hungary and Slovakia to the east, and the Czech Republic to the north. The largest concern in border patrol continues to be the prevention of human and contraband smuggling.

...