On Thursday morning, Philippe Schrantz, general director of the Grand Ducal police, addressed over 100 police officers, justice, and government representatives at the Cercle Cité.
Schrantz shared words of praise regarding the 2018 policing reforms, as well as the ongoing recruitment campaign, which has seen the police force add another 780 officers to its ranks over the past three years. The amendments will now permit the police to better handle any changes to the profession, he added.
However, state and administrative procedures still require consideration, Schrantz said. Officers should have the opportunity to work in a more mobile fashion, and should lose less time checking information.
The director acknowledged two major challenges faced by society, and in turn by the police, one of which is the digital world, as more and more people spend their time online. Specialists are required to control cybercrime, he said, pointing at examples in Norway, Denmark and the Netherlands, where there have been virtual police patrols for some time.
“Another area considered by many security experts as more important than terrorism in the future, is that of social and demographic development and migration,” Schrantz added. This issue, which could risk impacting social stability and public order, is compounded by factors such as climate change, lack of resources, war and economic difficulties.
Over the course of the last year, the Grand Ducal police have frequently featured in the headlines, which the director attributes to the upcoming elections. Security is always an important topic, he said. “As the head of an administration which is bound by neutrality, on principle I do not get involved in political debates,” Schrantz explained, as he declined to be interviewed following his speech. However, he highlighted his belief that some of the aforementioned headlines had been misleading, and added that police officers are human and therefore not infallible.
Schrantz was succeeded by police minister Henri Kox, who did not shy away from tackling the political aspect of policing in his speech. “Luxembourg is still one of the safest countries in the world,” the Green MP acknowledged. “But we also have issues.”
Kox argued that the police force has been significantly strengthened in the key areas of recruitment, investment and modernisation over the past few years, while focusing on prevention rather than repression.
In terms of security, the minister said no expense had been spared, while the chronic lack of personnel was on track to be remedied.
