VIENNA, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- Austria is to employ 4,100 new police officers by the year 2020 of which 2,100 are to be new positions, national newspaper The Krone reported on Wednesday.
Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, Vice-Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache, and Interior Minister Herbert Kickl announced the plans to media during a visit to a police station.
It was further noted that previously trainee officers had only been accepted when regular positions had become available. Under the new plan, an additional 2,000 prospective officers are to be given training, even though an open position in the force may not yet be available.
Strache said the measures are in part "necessary compensation" given that about 1,000 police officers retire each year. About a third of the force is also presently aged 50 and over.
Kurz said that during coalition government negotiations, it had been decided that the security sector would not be subject to cutbacks that were planned for other areas.
