Sicherheitsakademie

Police Academy Austria (Sicherheitsakademie)

The „Sicherheitsakademie“ (German abbreviation: SIAK) is the training and research institute of the Federal Ministry of the Interior of Austria. The legal basis for the establishment is laid down in Section 11 of the Security Police Act (Sicherheitspolizeigesetz – SPG). Within this Section, the main tasks of the SIAK are determined. According to the distribution of tasks, the SIAK is a Department within the Directorate-General I (Presidium). Since 2003 the Sicherheitsakademie is headed by Dr. Norbert Leitner.

3.1.Police Officer’s Training

3.2.General Administration Official’s Training

3.3.Academic Career

1. Training Centres
2. Weblinks
3. References

Tasks

The Sicherheitsakademie is responsible for the training of a staff of around 33.000 within the Federal Ministry of the Interior and its subordinated Directorates and Offices. Training in this context does not only mean the basic training, but also the further resp. advanced training for police officers and administrative staff. The co-ordination and the evaluation of research projects, which are relevant for the Ministry, form also a major part of the tasks of the Sicherheitsakademie. Furthermore, also the international co-operation in the field of police training affairs is assigned to the SIAK. The SIAK is the Austrian Member of the EU-Agency CEPOL (The European Agency for Law Enforcement Training). The Central Coordination Office of the “Central European Police Academy – CEPA (in German: Mitteleuropäische Polizeiakademie – MEPA)” as well as the Secretariat-General of the Association of European Police Colleges – AEPC are located in the Sicherheitsakademie; the activities of both institutions are guided and coordinated by the Sicherheitsakademie. Since April 2016, Director Leitner is also the President of the AEPC.

Organization

The Sicherheitsakademie is the Department I/9 within the Directorate-General I – Presidium and is subdivided into the following sections:

The Advisory Board of the Sicherheitsakademie, which consists of ten members, tenders advice to the Minister of the Interior and the Director of the SIAK in all matters related to the SIAK. Respective rules, such as the composition, the tasks and the management are laid down in the Regulation on the Advisory Body. The Sicherheitsakademie has its seat in the Marokkaner Barracks (Marokkaner Kaserne) in the 3rd District of Vienna (Landstraße).

Training

Main Article Police Training in Austria (in German only)

Police Training

At the beginning of each individual police officer’s career the recruited person has to undergo the “Basic Training for Police Officers” in one of the ten Training Centres (German abbreviation: BZS) of the Sicherheitsakademie. This training lasts for 24 months; at the end of this training the student has to pass a service exam, and after passing this exam successfully he will enter the service with the rank of an “Inspector”.

After having served in a Police Inspection for several years the police officer has the opportunity to attend an additional training to become an Officer in the mid-level ranks of the Austrian Police, which means a managerial position. This training ends as well with a service exam, and by reaching this step of career the police officer will be assigned to duties such as leadership functions within a Police Inspection.

Police officers who have passed high school with an A-Level Diploma have the chance to apply for a senior position (comparable with a Commissioned Officer in Military Service). This training is conducted in co-operation with the University of Applied Sciences in Wiener Neustadt as a bachelor-course “Police Leadership”. The graduation leads to the academic Bachelor’s Degree “Bachelor in Police Leadership”, which is a prerequisite to be promoted to a Senior Police Officer’s rank.

Administrative Career

The basic training for administrative staff is set up in modules in correspondence with the requirements of the individual post of the various service levels (A1/v1 – A4/v2). Staff in the Function Group A1 (officials) or the Function Group v1 (employees in civil service on a contractual basis) follow an academic career, whereas staff in the A2/v2 grades can enter this career path with a Higher School Diploma (A-Level Diploma).

Academic Career

Staff of the Federal Ministry of the Interior who hold a Bachelor’s Degree or who have passed their studies at a university or at a university of applied sciences with a Master’s Degree may apply for the study of “Strategic Security Management). This course of studies is also conducted in co-operation between the University of Applied Sciences in Wiener Neustadt and the Sicherheitsakademie.

This study (Strategic Security Management) represents academically-oriented leadership training for top managerial functions in the field of security. The students qualify for the strategic level of leadership.

Training Centres

For the Basic and Further Training of police officers a total of ten Training Centres (German abbreviation: BZS) have been established, which are directed by the Sicherheitsakademie:

· The Training Centre for Burgenland in Eisenstadt

· The Training Centre for Carinthia in Krumpendorf

· The Training Centre for Lower Austria in Ybbs an der Donau

· The Training Centre Traiskirchen in Lower Austria

· The Training Centre for Upper Austria in Linz

· The Training Centre for Salzburg in Großgmain

· The Training Centre for Styria in Graz

· The Training Centre for the Tyrol in Absam

· The Training Centre for Vorarlberg in Feldkirch

· The Training Centre for Vienna in the Marokkaner Barracks

(Landkarte)

Locations of the Training Centres of the Austrian Police

(Bilder)

The Training Centre in …

Weblinks

Website of the Sicherheitsakademie

Website of the Federal Ministry of the Interior

Website of the University of Applied Sciences Wiener Neustadt