Criticism of NRW Interior Minister: Police officers are waiting for promotions!

Criticism of NRW Interior Minister: Police officers are waiting for promotions!

The salary and transport policy of the North Rhine-Westphalian Ministry of the Interior is again criticized. The dissatisfaction among the officials, especially among young police officers, is growing. Leading representatives of the police union (GdP) have clearly expressed their displeasure with the latest developments. On April 24, 2025, the GDP claimed that the current changes have negative effects on the financial situation of those affected.

In a current decree of the Ministry of the Interior, there are less promotions in the A10 and A11 grade. Around 550 promotions are planned in the next three months. Around 220, around 225 in May and only around 100 promotions in April, will take place in May, which means a noticeable restriction. The GDP district group chairman Michael Kaufhold describes the situation as unjust and notes that young police officers in the A9 grade can lose between 750 and 900 euros gross in three months.

reactions of the Interior Ministry

Maurizio Gemmer, spokesman for Interior Minister Herbert Reul. Gemmer rejected the allegations of the GdP and made it clear that there was no stopping. Instead, it is only a "transport delay of three months". Interior Minister Reul confirmed in an internal letter that there would continue to be promotions and underlined the need to improve the situation with the criminal police (Kripo). For this purpose, 225 new development opportunities for crime officers, which include 150 jobs in the A-12 grade and 75 jobs in A-13.

, however, according to Kaufhold, the lack of transport adds to 1750 to 2100 euros for police officers who want to rise from A9 to A11. This is a significant sum that is particularly important for young officials. Kaufhold also criticized that no one had benefited from the policy of the Interior Minister, except for the state budget.

claims and challenges

The GdP calls for a comprehensive statement by Interior Minister Reul and emphasizes the importance of the work of police officers for the rule of law. State chairman Michael Mertens expresses concerns in view of the overdue allowances and unpaid overtime that many police officers have to do. The increase in workload in combination with the reduced promotion options ensures sharp criticism of the current political situation.

The situation in the NRW Ministry of the Interior thus clearly shows how urgent changes within the police service guidelines are. The plans for reducing promotions and the associated financial losses for the civil servants represent a significant challenge for the trust between the police and state politics. It remains to be seen whether and how Interior Minister Reul will react to the pressure of the union.

For more information, the articles from Comee-on.de, gdp.de and [Rule_4_plain]