20 years of the federal police: an era of security and reforms in Austria!

20 years of the federal police: an era of security and reforms in Austria!

On July 1, 2025, the Austrian federal police celebrated an important anniversary: ​​its 20th anniversary. The merger of gendarmerie and police as the new federal police took place on July 1, 2005, which is regarded as a fundamental reform in the Austrian security architecture. This change led to a uniform police structure with new dark blue uniforms and silver-blue-red company vehicles, which are now considered a modern trademark of the security forces. The central emergency number 059133 was also introduced nationwide to improve the accessibility and responsiveness of the police. Vorarlberg, where there was only the gendarmerie at the time, only experienced this conversion in the form of a name change, since no real merging took place.

A striking event of the celebrations took place in the Ministry of the Interior. Interior Minister Gerhard Karner, who invited numerous former heads of department, emphasized how important the cooperation between the security authorities is for the well -being of the population. The event was not only a review of the past two decades, but also a reflection on the adjustments that are necessary to keep up with modern challenges, especially in the area of ​​cybercrime.

success and statistics

The 2005 reform was not only an organizational change, but also reflected in the results. The clearance rate rose from 39.6 % in 2005 to an impressive 52.9 % in 2024, which underlines the effectiveness of the security forces. The increase in cybercrime ads, which jumped from 1,794 in 2005 to 62,328 in 2024, is particularly remarkable. At the same time, the advertisements due to burglaries and apartments dropped drastically from 21,225 to only 6.930 in 2024. Former Chancellor Wolfgang Schüssel emphasized that the creation of the federal police could not be mastered.

on the panel discussion, which took place on the occasion of the anniversary, experts such as Franz Lang and Michaela Kohlweiß discussed the positive effects of the reform. They reported on the successful standardization of the security components and the associated increase in the organizational punch of the federal police. In total, more than 35 working groups were involved in the reform process, the employees of which contributed decisively to the success of the project.

historical context

The reform 2005 was not the first important redesign of the police in Austria. Another reform came into force in 2012, which transferred the federal police departments into a uniform state police department per federal state. This was the end of a 230-year history of the police directorates in Austria, the roots of which extend until 1782. The first police directorate in Vienna was set up this year, followed by further directorates in significant cities.

Developments within the police structures reflect the need for adaptation itself. Ernst Strasser, who was significantly involved in the implementation of the reform, and Franz Lang, who headed the "Team04", were able to ensure that the federal police not only modernized, but also prepared for the challenges of the future.

Overall, the 20th anniversary of the federal police shows how far Austria has come in the past two decades and which steps have been necessary to actively ensure the safety of the population.