No other night is as busy for the police and fire department as New Year's Eve. The operational planning for the turn of the year is therefore in full swing. More than 7,300 police officers will ensure security and order throughout North Rhine-Westphalia. This includes around 1,600 riot police officers who will support the police authorities on site at night if necessary. With the adapted deployment measures, the North Rhine-Westphalia police are reacting to previous New Year's Eve nights in which there were riots in individual cities. Emergency services were also the target of attacks.
Interior Minister Herbert Reul: "Unfortunately, the turn of the year means a boom for the blue light family. In the past few New Year's Eve nights, hooligans have gone on the rampage and attacked our people. Anyone who thinks staging New Year's Eve as a chaos show will have to deal with the police. Even where champagne corks are popping and firecrackers are flying, it must remain safe. I hope that people will welcome the New Year peacefully and calmly rather than with riots and revelry. Help make it a safe New Year's Eve for everyone."
The district police authorities have made intensive preparations for the upcoming New Year's Eve. The authorities will ensure a clearly visible police presence, especially in places where large numbers of people gather. There is a particular focus on party hotspots and traffic junctions in order to maintain public safety and order and provide rapid assistance if necessary. Mobile video surveillance devices will also be in use. The district police authorities are in close contact with the relevant departments of the federal police and the municipal emergency response authorities. The Ministry of the Interior has also issued a decree informing police officers about the issue of personal safety.
In addition, the current situation assessment plays an important role in deployment planning. There are currently no indications or findings that indicate a specific threat to the New Year celebrations. However, the fundamentally abstract threat situation, in particular from Islamist attacks and irrationally acting or emotionalized individual perpetrators in Germany and thus also for the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, remains high.