In their districts, the district officers of the NRW police largely provide their "service on the street". Through their visible presence and personal approachability, they shape the close, trusting contact between the population and the police. The district officers make a significant contribution to strengthening the citizens' sense of security.

In addition, the district officers are particularly involved in the development and implementation of citizen-oriented and social area-related concepts for the sustainable improvement of the security situation within the framework of security networks. This involves close cooperation with other responsible parties. If security problems are identified, regular security talks are held in neighborhood structures to improve security in the residential environment.

The tasks of the district service include, among other things

• Continuous contact with citizens, social groups, institutions and organizations
• Crime prevention such as monitoring crime hotspots, youth protection patrols, enforcement of certain detention and presentation orders
• Traffic safety work such as traffic accident prevention, school route monitoring, traffic safety advice and certain investigation requests

Around 2,000 district officers work in the district service of the NRW police. The size of the districts depends on spatial and structural conditions. In principle, the ratio is 1 district officer per 10,000 inhabitants.

This is what a district officer does: A portrait of Horst Storb

Horst "Hotte" Storb is a district officer at Gelsenkirchen police headquarters - and a true Ruhrpottler. In the video, he talks about his duties in the district service, special experiences and his voluntary work against violence and racism.