Thousand more police over next five years after security uproar

By Steve Remesch and Yannick Lambert

Luxembourg wants to recruit 200 police officers annually over the next five years instead of just three years amid recent outcry that there are not enough officers to guarantee security following a reported attack in the capital.

Luxembourg City uses a private security firm around its Gare quarter as the city authority and some residents claim there are not enough police officers available. A reported dog attack last month led to another battle of words between local and national government, with the latter having said the use of private security could be illegal.

An “extraordinary” recruitment procedure of 200 new officers, already planned for the next three years, will be extended to at least a fourth year, Interior Security Minister Henri Kox said a police event last week.

Kox believes it is necessary to continue this process for a fifth year, setting a possible target of 1,000 new police officers by 2026. This would be a net increase when also taking into account retirements, Kox said.

Justice Minister Sam Tanson told a closed-door meeting of the parliamentary justice committee last month she has requested files from the capital’s private security firm to analyse whether private security agents are overstepping their authority.

Until 2021, only a maximum of 92 new civil servants were recruited annually. It is now important to compensate for the failures of the past as quickly as possible, Kox said.

More investments would be made in future training, said Kox, which would include an expansion of the police training centre. In May this year, 200 recruits started their training after the higher age limit was abolished and more women were recruited.

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