© Police
Peters was appointed general director of the police in a ceremony on Thursday, taking over from his predecessor Philippe Schrantz.
The ceremony took place around midday on Thursday at the police academy's sports hall in Findel. Pascal Peters will officially take over from Philippe Schrantz on 1 June, as the latter is due to retire after nine years in post.
CSV police minister Léon Gloden was in attendance and took over the reading of the corresponding Grand Ducal decree. "By his Royal Highness the Grand Duke, Mr Pascal Péters, present here today, has been appointed General Director of the Grand Ducal Police as of 1 June 2024. You will obey him in all commands in the interest of the service and in the execution of laws and regulations," the minister read.
The incumbent director, Philippe Schrantz, said the change at the top of police command would be more consistent this time, as five roles are changing hands. The new deputy director general will be Alain Engelhardt, while Kristin Schmit, Tom Didlinger, Thierry Fehr and Francis Lutgen have been appointed central directors.
The police need to prioritise creating trust. "Trust that we as the police are set up, trained and prepared in such a way to always find innovative solutions to any problem," Schrantz said. It was not enough to improve and adapt old-fashioned processes from the past, he continued, encouraging his successor to try new things more often, while remaining proud. He mentioned the example of virtual police stations, which are already deployed in Scandinavia.
Schrantz's successor, Pascal Péters, explained they would also work on continuity. "We're not here to start a revolution, but to continue and expand upon the structural reform from 2018," he said in his speech. They plan to focus on three main areas going forward. The first and most crucial is recruitment and training, with plans for over 200 new officers to enter basic training every year. The police force currently consists of 3,200 people.
The second area is exercising police work, with plans to strengthen police presence and improve accessibility. The third is digitisation and equipment, which requires advancement.
