Guild Ceremony in Retz: 205 Police Officers Sworn In and Commissioned

Training Completed and Leadership Roles Assumed

At the same time, 25 new border police assistants swore their service oath. These perform important work in border control, border surveillance, and the execution of alien police checks. Some of the new personnel support ongoing control and surveillance measures there.

Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP), National Council member Andreas Minnich, and State Police Director Franz Popp offered their personal congratulations. Karner spoke of a beautiful day for the police and for the city of Retz: „Dieser Ort ist sicher einer der schönsten, an dem wir eine Angelobungs- und Ausmusterungsfeier hatten.“ In advance, he had noted jokingly: „So schön wie heute war der Platz überhaupt noch nie.“

Words from the Dignitaries: Responsibility and Gratitude

The minister also emphasized the responsibility of the profession: „Die Polizei ist eine wesentliche Säule unseres demokratischen Lebens, die aber auch gefährlich sein kann.“ He also warned: „Dieser Beruf hat Schattenseiten“, and closed with a wish to the new officers: „Kommen Sie immer gesund nach Hause.“ Karner also pointed to crime trends: Even in a safe country like Austria, crime is changing. One can be proud of the network with friendly blue-light organizations: „Viele andere Länder beneiden uns für diese Zusammenarbeit.“

State Police Director Franz Popp also addressed the new colleagues: „Die neuen Kolleginnen und Kollegen werden ihren Dienst mit höchster Professionalität, Engagement und Menschlichkeit versehen.“ Mayor Stefan Lang (ÖVP) addressed the officers as „Kolleginnen und Kollegen“ and called the swearing-in an „unvergesslichen Meilenstein Ihres beruflichen Lebens“. He thanked those responsible for the decision to hold the event on one of Austria's most beautiful and largest market squares. National Council member Andreas Minnich, who was present as a representative of State Governor Mikl-Leitner, appealed to the police officers: „Sie stehen anderen Menschen bei, wenn es ernst wird, wenn es Ängste und Panik gibt, sorgen Sie für die Menschen.“

Blue Lights and Brass Music on a Historic Square

Manuel Scherscher, recently appointed head of the Public Relations Office of the Lower Austrian State Police, served as master of ceremonies and was delighted that „die Polizeifamilie wächst“. After the sounds of the national anthem, the guests of honor and all police officers were able to refresh themselves at a reception in the shady Althof.

Applicant Numbers Double: Police Profession on the Rise

The statistics underline the trend: For the next intake date in September, around 630 people have applied – nearly twice as many as in the previous year, when there were still around 330 applications. Just under 630 applications for the September 2026 intake date have been received by the Lower Austrian State Police Directorate. Already in spring, 154 police officers of the Lower Austrian State Police Directorate were commissioned, with more to follow. Around 120 police cadets will be deployed to patrol service in 2026.

The border police assistant model has existed since 2019 and has been continuously expanded since then. Since 2019, over 300 border police assistants have been trained to support the police in combating illegal migration. Overall, several hundred assistants have already been trained for this area. 75 female and 129 male police officers attended the ceremony in Retz.