Internal Security Report: Police Numbers Up 33% in 3 Years to 3,141

Luxembourg's Minister of Internal Security, Henri Kox, together with the director of strategy and performance at the Grand Ducal Police, Alain Engelhardt, recently presented the results and perspectives of the Ministry of Internal Security and the Grand Ducal Police in terms of recruitment and development of personnel and infrastructure.

They recalled that Minister Kox took office in 2019, at a time when both his ministry and the Grand Ducal Police faced several challenges, notably in terms of a shortage of police officers. An agreement concluded that same year foresaw the recruitment of 600 police officers and 240 civilians between 2020 and 2022.

As of 1 July 2023, taking into account arrivals minus departures, 781 more people (501 police officers and 280 civilians) worked for the Grand Ducal Police than in January 2020. This number thus increased by 33%, from 2,360 as of 1 January 2020 to 3,141 as of 1 July 2023.

Minister Kox and Alain Engelhardt attributed this achievement to a series of adaptations to the training programme, equipment and infrastructure. They noted that it had been necessary to adjust the legal framework by aligning the competitive examination procedures for access to police careers with the general framework of the civil service and to adapt the programme to allow a training phase at the Police School and a practical initiation phase in the field.

Moreover, new infrastructure had to be developed: the new premises of the Police School in Findel, equipped with modern sports training facilities, were installed within a year to be able to welcome new recruits from May 2021.

They added that this recruitment feat was a "great success" as a result of the joint work carried out between the Ministry of Internal Security and the Grand Ducal Police.

Nevertheless, Minister Kox recalled that "the development of resources and infrastructure must be done in continuity to allow constant growth and give the police predictability for the coming years."

"This is why the next phases of recruitment must be initiated now," added Alain Engelhardt, recalling that an information day ("Infodag") will take place at the Police School on Saturday 30 September 2023.

In order to perpetuate the work begun beyond this legislative period, the Minister of Internal Security has entrusted the management of the Grand Ducal Police with the mission of carrying out an internal reflection on the necessary means to continue the development of the police in the long term, in order to enable it to carry out its various missions.