Cyberattacks on critical infrastructures and industrial espionage against companies pose ever greater challenges to internal security, as do, for example, threats from organised crime or new forms of extremism from conspiracy theorists. At the same time, however, the resources of the security authorities remain limited. “This in itself is a balancing act that is almost impossible to achieve in the long term,” explains Friedrich P. Kötter, Member of the Board of Directors of the KÖTTER Security Group. “In addition, the Corona crisis drastically changed the framework conditions: instead of traditional danger prevention, the focus was now on effective health protection, for example.”

These factors therefore require solutions for the “new normal”. “Because these will not tolerate any delay, we want to bring our ideas into the election campaign and the formation of the government,” says Friedrich P. Kötter. The future security architecture must include the following aspects, among others:

• Realisation of own legislation for the security industry: According to Fritz Rudolf Körper, former Parliamentary State Secretary at the BMI, the Security Trade Act, which is already in preparation at the Federal Ministry of the Interior, for Construction and Home Affairs (BMI), is an essential aspect to continue the positioning of the industry as a central piece in the mosaic of internal security. The security industry also hopes for improvements in the areas of “qualification requirements”, “reliability checks”, “awarding of contracts” and “use of subcontractors” (e.g. legal exclusion of chain contracts).  
• Establishing fair procurement practices: This applies in particular to public tenders in order to avoid security risks due to the fact that cheap contracts are still being awarded. “Therefore, a stronger quality weighting is imperative,” Fritz Rudolf Körper emphasises.
• Expansion of cooperation between police and qualified service providers: According to Hans-Helmut Janiesch, retired senior police director/crime director, this contributes to a further increase in objective security and the subjective sense of security of the citizens. “Therefore, we should not let such important potential go unused.” Crucially, the monopoly on the use of force and the core competencies of police work remain unaffected. 
• Recalibrating the concept of security: As a consequence of the Corona crisis, Wolfgang Bosbach, one of Germany’s most accomplished domestic politicians, is pleading for an expanded interpretation of the concept of security. “We have known since the outbreak of the Corona pandemic at the latest that security does not only mean danger prevention as the protection of life and limb or against loss of assets, but all measures to avert dangers that can threaten our lives.” Classic protective measures must therefore be permanently supplemented by health protection instruments such as hygiene at companies and institutions.

“All in all, the bundle of measures described above can be used to further strengthen the role of the security industry in a targeted manner – and thus internal security as a whole. Friedrich P. Kötter is convinced that “due to their great relevance for the future-oriented design of the German security architecture, these issues should also have a high priority on the agenda of the next federal government and the future Bundestag”.

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The KÖTTER Group

The KÖTTER Group is a modern and innovative group of companies headquartered in Essen, Germany and has been family-owned since its foundation in 1934. As a professional facility services provider, the KÖTTER Group stands for customised system solutions from a single source, consisting of security services, security technology, cleaning and personnel services. With its approximately 17,600 employees at more than 50 locations throughout Germany, the KÖTTER Group generates a turnover of € 571 million (figures for 2020). Further information can be found at koetter.de.

Contact:

KÖTTER GmbH & Co. KG Administrative Services

Carsten Gronwald, Spokesman, Tel.: (0201) 2788-126, Carsten.Gronwald@koetter.de