A traveling exhibition, which will be on display in all district police authorities in North Rhine-Westphalia, deals with the special demands placed on police officers. Minister Herbert Reul opened the exhibition today (28 August), which focuses on stresses such as shift work, lack of recognition and confrontation with violence and death. "Every police officer has to deal with this. Because you don't just put this job down when you finish work. You take it home with you, and you need a healthy psyche to process what you have experienced," said Reul.
The exhibition makes it clear that these burdens in the police family are not taboo, on the contrary: "The exhibition should encourage people to talk about the problems and ask for help when it is needed," said the Minister.
The exhibition is also intended to invite police officers to visit the "gym" and "border crossing" at the North Rhine-Westphalia State Office for Police Training, Further Training and Personnel Matters (LAFP) in Selm. "Kraftraum" and "Grenzgang" are special and advanced offers that deal with the topics of values and stress in the police profession.
They are part of the "Center for Ethical Education and Pastoral Care in the NRW Police", a unique institution in Germany. "In all discussions about security and fighting crime, we must never forget that there are people in the uniforms. And that is also what we want in North Rhine-Westphalia: a police force that ensures our security in a highly professional and humane manner," said Reul.
