Freie Wähler on public safety

The Free Voters want to give the police and other security agencies enough staff and modern technology. Organized gang and clan crime, terrorism and extremism are to be fought consistently, while the platform stresses a balance between freedom and security.

The Free Voters want more staff for the police. The police should get modern technology. Gangs and clans should be pursued firmly. The party also wants to respect people's freedom.

Security personnel are to get better psychological support after traumatic operations. The Federal Police Act is to be adjusted so that crime, including cross-border crime, can be fought more effectively. Cooperation with the justice and police authorities of other EU states, especially Poland and the Czech Republic, is to be deepened. Misconduct and extremism within the police are to be investigated and prosecuted. For prevention, youth and social work are to get more staff, especially in disadvantaged neighborhoods.

The Free Voters want to fundamentally renew civil protection and disaster response, which in their view has barely been developed for years. Plans include decentralized reserves, regular drills, shelters and more money for municipalities and aid organizations.

The Free Voters want to rebuild disaster protection. Supplies should be stored in many places. Authorities and citizens should practice for emergencies regularly. Fire departments and helpers should get more money.

Reserves such as protective gear against chemical, biological and nuclear hazards, food, medicines and emergency generators with fuel are to be stored in a decentralized way and come from domestic production where possible. Districts and municipalities are to get help buying modern equipment for fire departments and rescue services, and volunteer work is to get more state funding. Critical infrastructure is to undergo regular stress tests, for example for an internet and phone outage; protection against cyber threats is also to be reviewed continuously. Former shelters and bunkers are to be recorded and checked for reactivation, and underground garages or tunnels designated as shelters. Drinking water supply in an emergency is to be secured. Schools are to offer a first-aider certificate.

The Free Voters want to give the justice system more staff and resources so that cases are handled faster. In criminal law they favor fast-track proceedings, short "warning-shot" detention for repeat offenders, and tougher rules for 18- to 21-year-olds who commit serious crimes. Foreign nationals who commit crimes are to be expelled more quickly.

The Free Voters want more staff for the courts. Cases should move faster. People who commit a crime should be punished quickly. Young adults should face stricter rules for serious crimes. Foreigners who commit serious crimes should have to leave the country sooner.

The platform calls for more staff and equipment for the judicial authorities and much shorter processing times in all areas of law. In criminal law, fast-track proceedings are to be used more often, especially for juvenile offenders. Repeat offenders in minor cases would face short "warning-shot" detention, and people aged 18 to 21 would no longer get the more lenient juvenile-law treatment for serious crimes. Foreign nationals who commit serious or repeated offenses are to be expelled faster. The platform also wants a digital justice administration, closer cooperation with the police, more prison staff, quick compensation for victims, more out-of-court dispute resolution, and stronger law studies in Saxony.

The Free Voters want to give Saxony's Landesamt für Verfassungsschutz (state domestic intelligence agency) more resources and, by law, broader access to data on extremists. The platform argues that criminal law alone is not enough to fight extremism from the right, the left, and Islamists. The party also rejects face coverings and veils in public.

The Free Voters want a stronger domestic intelligence agency. This agency watches people who threaten democracy. It should get more staff. It should get easier access to data on extremists. The party also does not want covered faces in public.

The platform calls for enough staff and equipment for Saxony's state domestic intelligence agency. The state law governing the agency would be changed so that it can access data on extremists as needed and respond to new developments. The reasoning is that the state must get a picture of extremist activity before crimes are committed. The party wants firm action against the so-called Reichsbürger movement. It considers masking and veiling in public spaces incompatible with an open society.