Delivering death notifications is one of the most delicate moments in the police profession. Especially when a child has lost their life, it often makes even the most hardened of people's throats tighten. Hamm Police Headquarters has now appointed twelve victim support officers who have volunteered for this task alongside their main police duties. The concept developed there is considered exemplary by the North Rhine-Westphalian Ministry of the Interior. It is based on a central multiplier training course offered by the LAFP NRW for all district police authorities.
The volunteers from Hamm police headquarters first received theoretical training. On the second day, they practiced their skills. The group learns how to behave in such a difficult situation. Role plays are used for this. They make it clear what to expect. A scenario is given in each case. For example, a deer crossing at dusk, forcing an articulated lorry to swerve on a wet arterial road. The driver of the truck loses control and skids into a small car in the oncoming lane. The 18-year-old driver is seriously injured in the collision. His 15-year-old girlfriend Lena dies at the scene of the accident.
The control center immediately informs the victim support officer and an emergency counselor. Just over an hour later, they are standing outside the parents' home. They have to hurry because the media and social networks are already reporting on the incident - including with photos. The relatives should not find out from third parties what has happened.
The man who plays the father in the exercise opens the door - and is startled. "Do you have a daughter called Lena?" asks the officer to make sure she's in the right place. When the father answers in the affirmative, the two ask to be allowed in. So far, everything is according to the checklist, a guide to the recommended procedure.
The officers take a seat on the sofa. There is silence for a few seconds. "I have to tell you that your daughter Lena has died in a traffic accident," the policewoman says in a firm voice. "It can't be," the father cries in despair. "She still had so much to do." The mother is frozen.
Specially trained officers are also supposed to be on standby at the other police headquarters and district police authorities in the state to visit the relatives. This requires empathy and professionalism.
Police victim protection is not only active after accidents, but also after a suicide or after finding a dead person who has been living alone in their home. Pastor Hendrik Meisel, Head of Emergency Pastoral Care in Hamm, welcomes the new structure and the established procedures: "Our role is to provide pastoral care after the police have provided initial information." Kristina Ruhnke from the control center is happy to be involved here. She always found it "humanly unsatisfactory to only refer to victim protection in the event of a death and then move on to everyday life". Now she is there to make the incomprehensible understandable.
Oguzhan Özcan, normally on the road as a motorcycle patrol, was irritated by the improvisation that has been the norm in this important task. "I want to take the pressure off my colleagues," he says. "Many people dread delivering a death notice. I want to help ensure that this happens in an appropriate and helpful way." The twelve victim support officers from Hamm Police Headquarters have been on duty since October 1.
