Rising Hostility: Police Resistance Cases Increase by Ten Percent in Saxony-Anhalt

Police officers in Saxony-Anhalt recorded , a ten percent increase from 951 cases in the previous year, according to the state's Police Crime Statistics. The number of officers who became victims of violence rose to 2,220, up from 1,957 in the prior period. Olaf Sendel, state chairman of the German Police Union in Saxony-Anhalt, described the trend as a direct reflection of broader social conditions. „This is a reflection of everyday life” — Olaf Sendel via dpa Eycke Körner, state chairman of the Union of the Police in Saxony-Anhalt, noted that the state is following a nationwide trend, with factors ranging from substance abuse to deepening distrust of state institutions.

Alcohol and drugs fuel two-thirds of confrontations Substance abuse emerged as the dominant driver of violence against officers, with suspects under the influence of alcohol in two-thirds of all recorded acts of resistance. Körner pointed to 61 (drug-related deaths) — recorded in Saxony-Anhalt in the latest reporting year as evidence that substance abuse is playing an increasingly prominent role in public order incidents. Psychosocial crises, frequently compounded by drug use, are becoming more common and significantly raise the potential for violent confrontations, Körner said. Beyond substances, both union leaders identified a growing skepticism toward official authority as a structural factor. Police-critical narratives circulate without filter on social networks, eroding the standing of officers before encounters even begin. „Trust in state institutions is falling” — Eycke Körner via ZEIT ONLINE

Violence against police in Saxony-Anhalt: Acts of resistance (before: 951 (previous year), after: 1,050 (latest year)); Officers who became victims of violence (before: 1,957 (previous year), after: 2,220 (latest year))

Resistance against police officers has become a persistent policy debate across Germany, with federal-level statistics consistently showing year-on-year increases in recorded incidents. The GdP was founded in 1950 and has long advocated for improved officer protection measures at both state and federal levels. Saxony-Anhalt, a state in eastern Germany, has its own state-level branches of both major police unions, the DPolG and the GdP, each of which publishes assessments of working conditions and safety trends.

Bodycams and de-escalation training top union demands The GdP is calling for the nationwide rollout of bodycams for all police officers as a priority measure, arguing that the cameras demonstrably reduce violence. Körner also advocated for specialized de-escalation training to better equip officers when dealing with individuals in acute psychological distress. Both Sendel and Körner framed the problem as one that extends beyond policing alone, calling on society as a whole to examine how state authority is perceived and treated. Sendel specifically emphasized the role of families and schools in transmitting civic values to younger generations. „Democracy must be lived by example” — Olaf Sendel via ZEIT ONLINE The union leaders stopped short of proposing specific legislative measures, focusing instead on equipment, training, and a broader cultural conversation about respect for public institutions.