The state government announces:
2,727 prospective police officers and administrative staff took their oath of office on Wednesday, April 19, 2023. Candidate inspectors and trainee government inspectors of the North Rhine-Westphalian police swore in the LANXESS Arena in Cologne that they would "administer the office entrusted to them to the best of their knowledge and ability, obey and defend the constitution and laws, fulfill [their] duties conscientiously and do justice to everyone."
Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst and Minister of the Interior Herbert Reul also took part in the swearing-in ceremony.
Minister President Hendrik Wüst: "Our police officers stand up for law, order and security in our country. Day and night, in the countryside and in the cities, they take responsibility for our democratic constitutional state. When they are sworn in, the candidates not only sign a training contract, as is the case in other professions. With their oath of office, they make a public commitment to our constitution and our free democratic basic order. I am delighted that so many motivated and talented young people want to join the police force. With the many new recruits, we are strengthening the police force as a whole and investing a lot of energy and money in the future viability of our police force - for the benefit of the people in our country."
Interior Minister Herbert Reul: "Our approximately 58,000 employees in the North Rhine-Westphalian police force - the 'Team 110' - are committed to security in our state. Stand firm - even when the going gets tough. Stand by the values of a constitutional police force. Because that is exactly what citizens expect from you: you embody the state's promise of security. People trust you." Minister Reul continued: "You can be proud of your new task. Because the vast majority of people in the police family - even after many years in the job, even shortly before retirement - tell me: working for the police is the best thing in the world."
Including the new recruits planned for this year, more than 17,000 trainee inspectors are expected to have started a career in the North Rhine-Westphalian police between 2017 and 2023.
For years, the police have been the most popular employer in North Rhine-Westphalia. Every year, around 12,000 young people apply to become police officers. The general requirement for applying is a high school diploma or an equivalent qualification. In addition to the entrance qualification for universities of applied sciences, a master craftsman's certificate or at least two years of completed vocational training followed by three years of professional experience are also considered equivalent. The entrance qualification for universities of applied sciences is even offered specifically for the police via the "FOS Polizei" school pathway. Here, technical college students are specifically prepared for their future studies.
The North Rhine-Westphalia police force is pursuing the goal of recruiting 3,000 police officers every year. With the "Task Force 3,000", the recruitment of new recruits is being systematically developed. The aim is also to appeal to young people who have not yet considered the police profession immediately after leaving school. This includes students from other disciplines who would like to reorient themselves, or young people with other vocational training who may be interested in the police profession a little later.
The candidates sworn in on Wednesday will complete a three-year dual Bachelor's degree course at the North Rhine-Westphalia University of Applied Sciences for Police and Public Administration (HSPV). In addition to the theory, the students will learn about police practice at the North Rhine-Westphalia State Office for Training, Further Education and Personnel Affairs of the Police (LAFP) and in several internships in the district police authorities.
Further information on the police profession can be found at www.genaumein-fall.de. All employment opportunities with the North Rhine-Westphalian police can be found at https://karriere.polizei.nrw.