What do the parties in Saxony say on public safety?

The AfD wants to enlarge Saxony's police force to at least 15,000 staff and equip it better. Police are to be more visible around the clock, especially in rural areas and near the border, so that they arrive faster in emergencies.

The AfD wants more police officers in Saxony. There should be at least 15,000. Police should be seen more often on the streets. This matters most in villages and near the border. That way help should arrive faster.

The AfD wants to strengthen the units fighting organized crime with staff and technology and to consistently confiscate criminal profits. Foreign offenders are to be expelled more easily by making membership in such groups a separate ground for expulsion.

The AfD wants to do more against criminal gangs. Police should get better technology for this. The state should take away money made from crime. Foreigners who belong to such gangs should have to leave the country.

The AfD calls for checks on people and goods at Saxony's border crossings again and for complete surveillance of the border away from the crossings. It cites uncontrolled immigration, people smuggling, and cross-border crime as reasons.

The AfD wants checks at Saxony's borders again. This covers people and goods. The border in forests and fields should be watched too. The AfD says this will keep out smugglers and criminals.

The AfD wants to lower the age of criminal responsibility from 14 to twelve. Adult criminal law would apply without exception to 18- to 21-year-olds; the option of applying juvenile law to them would be dropped.

Today courts can punish children only from age 14. The AfD wants this from age 12. Anyone who is 18 should always be punished as an adult. Today milder rules sometimes apply to young people up to 21.

The AfD wants a general ban on religious face and full-body veils in public spaces. At public events and marches, the existing ban on covering one's face is to be enforced.

The AfD wants to ban face veils worn for religious reasons. This should apply everywhere in public. At protests, too, nobody should cover their face. The AfD says: here, people show their faces.

The AfD wants to abolish the Verfassungsschutz (domestic intelligence agency) in its current form and rebuild it under a completely revised law. The new agency is to operate independently of the government; at the same time the party announces a zero-tolerance policy toward extremists and hate preachers.

The Verfassungsschutz is a secret service inside Germany. The AfD wants to abolish it in its current form. A new service should replace it. It should not depend on the government. The AfD wants to be tough on extremists.

The AfD wants to strengthen emergency medical services, fire departments, and disaster response, especially in rural areas. Volunteers are to receive more recognition, including a tiered supplementary pension and subsidized truck driver's licenses.

The AfD wants stronger fire and rescue services. They should get modern equipment. Volunteers should later get a small extra pension. The state should also help pay for truck licenses for firefighters.

The BSW wants a community-oriented, preventive police force with enough staff, especially in patrol and investigative units. The party prefers more officers on the street to additional video cameras. Training, promotion prospects and allowances are to be improved.

The BSW wants more police officers on the street. The party thinks this helps more than cameras. People should be able to move around without fear of being watched. Officers should get good training. Their job should become more attractive.

The BSW wants to restrict the powers of Saxony's Landesamt für Verfassungsschutz (state domestic intelligence agency) and strengthen parliamentary oversight of it. Political and religious extremism is still to be monitored and fought. The party rejects monitoring of dissenting opinions.

The Verfassungsschutz is the state's domestic intelligence agency. The BSW wants it to have fewer powers. It should still watch extremists. But it should not pressure people because of their opinions. The state parliament should oversee it more strictly.

The BSW wants criminal cases to be completed faster and sentences to be enforced more quickly. More staff, more resources and better IT are to be provided for this. In prisons, more staff should ease the workload, and the party rejects private operators.

The BSW wants punishment to follow a crime quickly. Cases should not end because there is too little time. For this there should be more staff and better computer systems. More people should work in prisons. Private companies should not run prisons.

The BSW wants to prevent crime early and comprehensively. More school social workers and street workers are to be deployed. The justice system and prisons are to get more room in school curricula.

The BSW wants to prevent crime early. Children and young people should learn responsibility. There should be more social workers in schools and on the streets. Students should learn more about courts and prisons. They should visit court hearings.

The CDU wants the police to be more visible across the whole state and aims to double the number of Bürgerpolizisten (community police officers). An investment drive is to improve police buildings, training sites and equipment.

The CDU wants more police in all parts of Saxony. There should be twice as many community officers. These are officers who are assigned to one local area. The police should get better buildings and good equipment. Officers should be better protected.

The CDU demands that Saxony's police and domestic intelligence service be allowed to intercept encrypted communication at the source and to covertly search devices. It argues that the state must be technically on par with criminal networks and enemies of the constitution.

The CDU wants to give the police new powers. Police should be allowed to read messages on phones. They should also be allowed to search computers in secret. The same should apply to the domestic intelligence service. The CDU says this helps the state fight criminals.

The CDU wants to expand the Fahndungspolizei (police search and interdiction units) to push back drug crime, irregular entry and human smuggling. Near the border, joint search operations with neighboring countries are to be stepped up.

The CDU wants to strengthen the search police. These officers look for offenders in a targeted way. They should act against drug dealing. They should also act against smugglers and unauthorized entry. At the border, Saxony should work more closely with its neighbors.

The CDU wants to act against every form of extremism and expand the state's domestic intelligence office for that purpose. The strategy against right-wing extremism is to be applied to left-wing extremism as well, and municipalities get support, especially in dealing with the Reichsbürger scene.

The CDU wants to act against all extremists. The domestic intelligence service should get stronger for this. It should spot dangers early. The CDU wants to use the plan against right-wing extremism against left-wing extremism too. Towns should get help. Police and the intelligence service should also deal with attacks from the internet.

The CDU wants convicted foreign nationals to serve their prison sentences in their home countries more often. For EU prisoners, existing European law is to be applied consistently; for other countries, the federal government is to conclude agreements.

The CDU wants foreign offenders to serve prison time in their home country more often. There are already rules for EU citizens. These rules should be used. The federal government should make deals with other countries.

The CDU wants to make civil protection and disaster response more effective and equip it for current challenges. It points to wars, pandemics and disasters that it says require greater resilience from the state and the public. Plans include a resilience strategy and continued support for fire departments.

The CDU wants Saxony to be better prepared for crises and disasters. There should be a plan for dangers across the whole state. Fire departments should get good equipment and training. People should learn more about preparing for crises.

The CDU wants to push for harsher penalties for rape and domestic violence. It argues that many women in Saxony experience various forms of violence and wants to make implementing the Istanbul Convention a top priority.

The CDU wants harder punishments for rape. The same goes for violence at home. Many women in Saxony suffer violence. Women should feel safe everywhere.

The CDU wants insults, threats and other crimes on social networks to be prosecuted consistently. It also wants to better protect journalists in Saxony and guarantee reporting at rallies and major events.

Laws apply on the internet too. People who insult or threaten others there should be punished. The CDU also wants to protect journalists. They should be able to report safely from demonstrations.

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.

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.

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 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 Greens want a fundamental renewal of civil protection and disaster response in Saxony, citing new demands from climate change and an aging population. They plan a state office for civil protection and better preparedness among both the public and the administration.

The Greens want Saxony to be better prepared for disasters. The main reason is climate change. There should be a new state office for protecting the public. People should be able to prepare better themselves. People with disabilities should be well protected too.

The Greens want quality and fair pay to count for more than price when rescue service contracts are awarded. Selection by the administration, rather than Europe-wide tendering, is to become the norm. Uniform standards and incentives are planned for fire departments.

The Greens want a good rescue service. The cheapest price should not decide who runs it. Good care and fair pay matter more. Ambulances should arrive faster. Volunteer fire departments should get more support.

The Greens want to dissolve Saxony's Landesamt für Verfassungsschutz (state domestic intelligence office) in its current form over the longer term. It is to be replaced by a well-supervised agency that detects terrorist threats early. The use of informants is to be restricted.

The Greens want to rebuild the domestic intelligence office in Saxony. The office should no longer exist as it is today. A new agency should spot terror threats early. It should be well supervised. Informants should be used less often.

The Greens want a police force that is visible locally, with adequate staffing and more community officers. At the same time, an independent police commissioner attached to the state parliament is to oversee police work. Training and crime prevention are to be expanded.

The Greens want the police to be visible in local areas. There should be more community officers. An independent office at the state parliament should watch over the police. Officers can also go there with their own problems. Police training should become more modern.

The Greens want to amend the police law in favor of civil liberties following a ruling by the state constitutional court. The party rejects heavier weapons, Tasers for regular officers and more video surveillance without specific cause. Assembly law is to be liberalized further.

The Greens want to change the police law. Citizens' rights should count for more. The police should not get hand grenades and machine guns. There should not be more video surveillance without a reason. Protests should be watched less.

The Greens want to permanently secure and expand contact points for people affected by hate crime. It should also be possible to report online hate anonymously. A master plan and a child protection commissioner for the justice system are meant to better protect children in criminal proceedings.

The Greens want to protect crime victims better. Offices for victims of hate should stay and grow. People should be able to report online hate without giving their name. Children should get special protection in criminal cases. There should be a child protection commissioner for this.

The Greens want to abolish the Ersatzfreiheitsstrafe, the jail term imposed when someone does not pay a criminal fine. The party places more weight on responses to crime that center on the victim.

Today, people who do not pay a fine can go to jail. The Greens want to end this kind of jail term. They prefer solutions worked out between offender and victim.

The Greens want a municipality in Saxony to become a model region for the controlled sale of cannabis. This is to happen as part of the corresponding federal project. The party argues that legalization serves crime prevention.

The federal government plans test regions for selling cannabis. Cannabis is sold there under controls. The Greens want a town in Saxony to take part. They say this helps prevent crime.

The Greens want to amend the prison law so that inmates can build up transition savings and pay financial compensation to victims. They also want to expand therapy, medical care, education and contact options in prisons.

The Greens want to change prisons in Saxony. Inmates should be able to save money for life after prison. They should also be able to pay money to victims. There should be more help with addiction and mental illness.

The Greens want to regulate and expand support after release from prison by law in order to reduce reoffending. This includes psychosocial help, addiction therapy and housing for people released.

People need help after prison. The Greens want a law that secures this help. There should be addiction therapy and mental health support. People leaving prison should also get a home. The aim is fewer repeat crimes.

The Left wants to make fire protection a mandatory task under state direction, paid for by the state. In rural areas, full-time local fire brigades would supplement volunteer fire departments. Volunteers would receive more recognition.

The Left wants fire departments to be equally well equipped everywhere. The state should pay for this. In rural areas there should also be fire brigades with paid staff. Volunteers should get educational leave and pension credits.

The Left rejects the planned revision of Saxony's assembly law because it sees it as hollowing out freedom of assembly. It also demands that anti-fascist and civil society protest not be criminalized and that the police task force "Soko LinX" be dissolved.

The Left wants to strengthen the right to protest. It is against the planned new assembly law. Police should protect journalists at protests. The special unit "Soko LinX" should be closed.

The Left wants to respond to offenses by children and young people mainly with social-pedagogical and psychological support rather than repression. To that end, more facilities like Leipzig's "Haus des Jugendrechts" (House of Juvenile Justice) are to be created and more social workers are to do prevention work.

Some children and young people commit crimes. The Left wants to help them mainly with social work and psychology. It does not see harsh punishment as the answer. There should be more social workers who prevent crime.

The Left wants to revise Saxony's police law so that fundamental rights and the presumption of innocence come first. An independent ombuds and complaints office under the state parliament and separate investigators for cases of police misconduct are meant to strengthen trust in the police.

The Left wants to change the police law in Saxony. Basic rights should matter more. An independent office should look into complaints about the police. Police officers can complain there too. Separate investigators should look into claims against police officers.

The Left rejects police video surveillance in public spaces as well as automated facial recognition and tracking. It also opposes checks and random dragnet stops at the borders with Poland and the Czech Republic. In its view, these technologies interfere disproportionately with fundamental rights.

Police in Saxony often film protests and soccer fans. The Left does not want that. It also does not want software that recognizes faces. There should be no checks at the borders with Poland and the Czech Republic. Everyone should be able to move freely.

The Left wants a well-trained state police force that is reachable locally and has more investigative capacity rather than new powers or equipment. Training is to include mandatory courses against racism and discrimination, and the police are to become more diverse.

The Left wants police who are close to the people. Officers should get better training. They should take courses against racism. The police should not get more powers or more gear. Security should stay a job for the state.

The Left wants to ban racial profiling and require all police officers to wear an individual ID number on their uniform. Identity checks without cause, "dangerous places," prohibition zones and control areas are to be scrapped because the party believes they are misused for discriminatory checks.

The Left wants every police officer to wear a number on the uniform. Then people can find the officer after a crime. Police should not check people without a reason. Checks based on skin color should be banned. Anyone who is checked should get a receipt.

The Left wants to abolish Saxony's Landesamt für Verfassungsschutz (state office for the protection of the constitution). In the party's view, the intelligence service does not protect democracy but acts mainly politically. Until it is dissolved, parliament is to oversee it effectively.

The Verfassungsschutz is a state intelligence service. The Left wants to close it down in Saxony. The party says it does not protect democracy well. Until then, the state parliament should watch it closely.

The Left wants to strengthen victim protection and support and develop criminal law toward restorative justice. Courts are to work faster with more staff, prison is to be a last resort, and a rehabilitation law is to help convicted people return to society.

The Left wants to help crime victims better. Courts should get more staff and work faster. Prison should only be the last resort. Offenders should make up for the harm. A new law should help convicted people not to commit crimes again.

The Left wants more therapy and addiction services in prisons and easier contact between inmates and their families. According to the platform, family and children provide stability and motivate people to change.

The Left wants more help for people in prison. There should be more therapy for addiction. Inmates should see their families more easily. The party says family gives people support.

The Left wants to push at the federal level for ending jail time in place of unpaid fines, except in rare cases. Riding without a ticket would become a mere administrative offense, and taking discarded food would no longer be prosecuted. The platform sees these penalties as discrimination against poor people.

Today, people who cannot pay a fine often go to jail. The Left wants to end this almost completely. Riding without a ticket should no longer be a crime. Taking food from store dumpsters should not be punished either.

The SPD wants Saxony's police to be modern and well equipped, focusing above all on working and training conditions. The higher number of training places is to be maintained.

The SPD wants the police to be well equipped. Police training should become more modern and better. Many people should keep being trained there. People should be able to trust the police.

The SPD wants to keep modernizing Saxony's Verfassungsschutz (domestic intelligence agency) but rejects giving it additional powers. The agency should cooperate more closely with police and firearms authorities and operate under clear rule-of-law standards.

The Verfassungsschutz is a domestic intelligence agency. The SPD wants to modernize it. But it should not get more powers. It should work better with the police and gun authorities. The state parliament should oversee it more closely.

The SPD wants a statewide disaster response plan and continued investment in fire protection. Volunteers in all emergency organizations are to be treated equally. Fire departments and rescue services are to become more capable locally.

Saxony should get a plan for disasters. The state should keep paying for fire departments. Volunteer helpers should have the same rights everywhere. They should still get their pay during missions. Rescue services should also get better.

The SPD wants prisons to focus more on reintegration and to hire more specialist staff for this. People who cannot pay a fine should more often do community service instead of going to jail. This is meant to relieve the prisons.

Prisoners should be better prepared for life after prison. There should be more psychologists, doctors and therapists. Some people cannot pay a fine. They should more often do community work instead of going to prison.

The SPD wants to keep matching police staffing to the force's tasks and to prevent staff cuts. Police are to be visibly present, alongside prevention programs. At demonstrations, violent troublemakers are to be identified and stopped early.

The police should have enough staff for their tasks. This should be checked regularly. Police should be easy to see on the streets. At protests they should spot violent troublemakers early. Peaceful protesters should be left alone.

The SPD wants more support for people who have experienced violence and for their relatives. After sexual assaults, victims should be able to have evidence secured at a hospital even without filing a police report first.

Victims of violence should get more help. Their families should get help too. After a sexual assault, a hospital can secure evidence. You do not have to go to the police first.

The SPD wants to expand security partnerships with municipalities and continue local crime prevention programs. Older people should feel safe in their neighborhoods.

Older people should feel safe where they live. The SPD wants the state and towns to work together more on safety. Police should be seen more often in certain places. There should be more community police officers.