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The police in Switzerland are popular, but not enough people are attracted to them. Is it just because of the money – or does a fundamental change need to be made?
Most police corps in Switzerland suffer from acute inventory problems. Thousands are missing. The Association of Swiss Police Officers (VSPB) sees the reasons, among other things, in declining reputation, but also in pay and regular weekend work, for example at high-risk football games with increasing violence. And ultimately also in the allegations of alleged police violence.
The influencer and the vice president
Young people want money and appreciation in their working hours, an exciting job, meaning and flexible working hours. This is what the 23-year-old influencer and co-founder of a creative agency, Yael Meier, said at a forum for internal security organized by the police union in Bern.
According to Meier, the police are not well respected by her generation. So she has to seem likeable, helpful and interesting. With well-made videos on social media, young people could perhaps be won over to the police.
We have to find the right tone and vocabulary for Generation Z.
VSPB Vice President Emmanuel Fivaz is also of this opinion: “We have to find the right tone and vocabulary for Generation Z in order to be able to take them with us. Yael Meier addresses the fact that young people in Switzerland were also influenced by videos about police violence in the USA. On this point, however, police unionist Fivaz is firmly convinced: “The Swiss public still loves the police very much, and it absolutely has to stay that way.”
More women, including migrants
The police need to become more diverse, suggests Nadine Voegeli, President of the Solothurn Police Officers Association: “You have to be able to recognize yourself in the police. That’s why we need more women and more migrants so that these parts of the population also feel addressed.” But according to Vogeli, that’s not enough: “We’re also still a bit behind when it comes to working conditions.”
I notice a certain depression in the corps.
Vaud police commander Sylvie Bula advocates a change in the police force: with part-time models, new forms of work, better career development and generally more flexibility. She herself notices a certain depression in the corps: “Many are leaving the profession, and more and more are dropping out of training. Young people don’t want to represent this kind of authority because they associate the police with a conservative attitude.”
Wages not attractive enough
According to Bula, wages also need to be increased. A VSPB survey from the spring shows that “pay does not necessarily correspond to the current labor market,” as Vice President Fivaz puts it: “Many people also say that there is a lack of recognition from the hierarchy and from the employer.” He believes that with improvements in these areas, corps could find and retain their forces better.
Legend:
A police officer and her colleagues in demonstration gear keep the fans of FC Lugano and FC St. Gallen at a distance in the Wankdorf Stadium in Bern on May 15, 2022.
Keystone/Alessandro della Valle
However, all of the sensible approaches discussed require money that the police themselves do not have. Politics will decide this, and perhaps more should be done at the federal level for the cantonal emergency services.
The forum also discussed a national police reserve, a “Police Switzerland”. Even if the cantons are responsible for security, they still have to think in all directions – with a lot of imagination – says Solothurn association president Nadine Vogeli.