The basic idea of police victim protection
It is usually police officers who have the first contact with the victim immediately after these events. This is why every police officer is already trained in victim protection when deployed to the scene and will take action if necessary. Since January 1999, every district police authority has had specially trained police officers on the subject of victim protection. In the Märkischer Kreis district police authority, there is a victim protection unit in the Traffic Directorate (traffic accident prevention) and a second unit in the Crime Directorate (crime prevention).
Who is a "victim"?
A victim is anyone who has been directly or indirectly harmed by an act or event. Be it physical, psychological and/or material. This means that victims are not only directly injured parties, but also relatives, witnesses, first responders, missing persons, etc. Causes include traffic accidents, criminal offenses, suicides, missing persons, accidents at work, disasters, major loss situations, accidents and much more.
The purpose and task of victim protection
The purpose of victim protection is to prevent a second victimization. Victims are informed about their rights and about the course of the police investigation. If there is a need, a referral is made to a professional counseling center. The victim's status should be restored as far as possible to what it was before the harmful event (so-called restitution principle).
The main task of police officers working in victim protection is therefore to initiate and support networks with support facilities at regional level. This includes, for example, the fire department, emergency pastoral care, Weisser Ring, youth welfare offices, women's refuges, drug counselling centers, psychological counselling centers, traffic accident aid organizations, care centers and many more. These cooperations help with the quick and professional referral of the victim.
Another task of the victim protection officer is to familiarize colleagues with the idea of victim protection as a police matter of course through internal training courses.