Joint Open Letter to Interior Minister Georg Maier

The heads of public order departments in the five independent cities of Erfurt, Gera, Jena, Suhl, and Weimar have addressed a joint open letter to Thuringia’s Minister of the Interior, Georg Maier. This comes against the backdrop of growing public safety challenges in managing security-related situations on New Year’s Eve—particularly in connection with the use of fireworks and the resulting risks to public safety.

The letter was signed by Heike Langguth (Mayor and Deputy Mayor for Public Safety, Citizen Services, and Health of the City of Erfurt), Benjamin Koppe (Mayor and Head of the Department of Finance, Public Safety, and Citizen Services of the City of Jena), Thomas Lenk (Mayor, First Deputy Mayor, and Head of the Department of Citizen Services, Public Order, and the Environment for the City of Gera), Ralf Kirsten (Mayor and Deputy Mayor for Social Affairs, Culture, and Public Order of the City of Weimar), and Nadine Luther (Director of the Public Order Office of the City of Suhl).

The cities emphasize that the responsibilities of the police and local authorities must be clearly delineated. In particular, threat prevention in connection with criminal offenses under explosives law, as well as the prosecution of criminal offenses, fall unequivocally within the purview of the Thuringian State Police.

In contrast, local public order authorities have only limited jurisdiction. For example, they can identify violations of firework bans and refer them as administrative offenses for further processing. However, as soon as criminal offenses, police hazard prevention, or corresponding powers of intervention are involved, the police must be called upon.

“Our municipal public order authorities are fulfilling their duties. However, they can neither replace the police nor take on tasks for which they lack the legal authority, training, and personnel resources. Especially on New Year’s Eve, when numerous incidents occur simultaneously, a sufficient and reliably predictable police presence is therefore essential,” explain the heads of public order departments from the five cities.

Expectations of public order authorities have risen in recent years. These expectations reach clear limits where municipal personnel have neither the necessary powers to intervene nor the training and equipment to handle police-level emergency situations. Municipal forces therefore cannot fill gaps in police threat response.

With their joint initiative, the cities also aim to make it clear that the security situation surrounding New Year’s Eve cannot be viewed solely from the perspective of municipal resources. Rather, statewide, coordinated operational planning is essential.

The current division of responsibilities must also be reflected in operational planning and public communications. The impression must not be given that public order offices are responsible for security shortcomings, even though the relevant tasks are legally assigned to the police.
The five independent cities are therefore calling on the Ministry of the Interior to review the statewide police operational planning for New Year’s Eve and to develop, in collaboration with the municipalities, a coordinated plan that takes into account both the legal framework and the practical realities of operations.

The goal must be a safe New Year’s Eve with sufficient personnel resources and reliable cooperation between the police and local governments. The five independent cities therefore expect early clarity on how the 2026/2027 New Year’s Eve celebrations are to be jointly prepared for and secured.

Wenden sich mit einem gemeinsamen Schreiben an Innenminister Georg Maier (v.l.): Nadine Luther, Ralf Kirsten, Heike Langguth, Thomas Lenk sowie Benjamin Koppe

© Stadt Erfurt