It often happens faster than you realise and you find yourself trapped in a situation. In the area of human trafficking, this is unfortunately not only true in a figurative sense. There are dedicated hotlines and advice centres for immediate help, but more attention needs to be paid to prevention in particular.
THE BK – A BRIEF INTRODUCTION
The Federal Criminal Police Office in Vienna – near the Spittelau underground station – has been operational for more than 20 years now. It is a national and international point of contact for police co-operation. The BK acts as the central office for all provincial criminal investigation offices and subordinate police departments by providing assistance, support and controlling services in Austria. The Federal Criminal Police Office currently employs around 800 people in seven specialised departments.
According to the Federal Criminal Police Office, it is a “key institution” in Austria and its tasks are dynamically adapted to new crime trends. The seven departments, 29 offices and 69 units develop and coordinate security strategies. Modern analysis tools are used to ensure effective action against crime. In addition to basic and advanced training and research in criminal police matters, there is also crime prevention, which focuses on cooperation with various institutions and communities. Crime analysis is used to support investigations in international police co-operation and manhunts. Operational investigations and the securing of evidence using forensic technology are also among the main tasks. In addition to these core areas, the Federal Criminal Police Office also offers assistance services for other investigative areas and organisational units, including witness and victim protection, criminal psychology and cybercrime.
PREVENTION AND ACUTE HELP
Raising awareness and actively talking about problems are among the key measures that can help prevent violence. “Prevention concerns us all!” is also the official motto of the Federal Criminal Police Office. Projects and campaigns are developed, implemented and initiated together with the private sector, governmental and non-governmental institutions and local authorities. This is based on the approach that active crime prevention requires direct contact with people, listening to them and jointly developing solutions. For these tasks, 2,000 prevention officers were trained according to a training concept developed by the Federal Criminal Police Office.
Here on the website of the Federal Criminal Police Office, there are separate sub-categories which are intended to help protect through concrete knowledge. There is also a dedicated e-mail address which can be used to send questions, suggestions or complaints directly to experts in the Office for Crime Prevention at the Federal Criminal Police Office.
Special attention is also paid to young people. According to its own information, more than 400 prevention officers are active in Austria. The aim is to ensure the uniform implementation of “well-founded prevention programmes”. The target group is young people between the ages of 13 and 17. The training of prevention officers is organised uniformly in Austria – this modular training takes place over 19 attendance days and, according to the information provided, also includes developmental psychological aspects as well as the development of violence and addiction, methodology, didactics and communication.
More information can be found here: Youth programmes (bundeskriminalamt.at)
LOOK AND ACT – ACUTE HELP
If you have information relating to human trafficking, please call +43-677-61343434 directly. This hotline is staffed around the clock.
Here in Austria, sexual exploitation is the main form of human trafficking. However, the offence of human trafficking itself refers to human rights violations, regardless of whether they affect women, men or children. Labour exploitation and begging must also be taken into account. Austria is cited as both a destination and transit country. The prostitution trade, for example, is considered a control offence. Control offences are offences that are only detected by the police, which is why the number of unreported cases is so high in this area. According to the BK, it is very clear that so-called globalisation not only connects areas such as the economy and politics, but also crime. It is therefore important that preventive, repressive, supporting and coordinating tasks work together. But we all have a role to play in civil society. Prevention can only take place through knowledge transfer; support can only be provided by people who actively decide to help, and there are help and contact centres that can provide professional assistance.
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